Reverse this Curse
by allietheepic7
Summary: Kaito held back a scream as another red-hot knife sunk into his skin. "This can all stop," the voice assured him. "We'll stop, but only if you give us the location of Shinichi Kudo." "It's no use," another voice said condescendingly. "Do you honestly think his kind are autonomous enough to think for themselves? They're no better than puppets." Kaishin, Demon/Magician AU
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"BaKaito!" Aoko screeched, her voice nearly going supersonic and breaking glass.

Kaito flinched, jerking out of his daydream. "What do you want, Ahoko?" he whined at the Banshee.

The Demon's ghastly white face flushed bright red. She slammed her hands on the table and the other patrons of the café stopped what they were doing to stare fearfully at the irate demon. Kaito wondered idly if they'd call D.E.A.D. No, probably not. "Stop looking out that stupid window and talk to me!"

Kaito rolled his eyes. Of all the people he could be best friends with, it had to be a temperamental Banshee. "Why do you keep shouting!? Geeze, you're so annoying…"

She pouted, much to Kaito's joy. He loved teasing her. "You're so mean… I just wanted to spend some time with you since Sugaru and I are always busy with work."

"Sorry, Aoko," he stuck out his tongue playfully. "And don't mention him!" Kaito whined. "It's bad enough that you're Blood Bound to him, but you had to start dating the bastard, too!"

Blood Bonds were common between Mages and Demons, especially those in law enforcement like Aoko and her father. Normal humans, like him, weren't allowed to know very much about magick secrets, but his dad had been the greatest Mage in the world. Toichi Kuroba had taught his son many things, including how Blood Bonds worked. Through a ritual and an exchange of blood between the Demon and Mage, a psychic link is formed between them. Not only can the two sense the other's emotions, but they are both strengthened in magick and in physical abilities.

Blood Bonds created a little black picture on the skin, like a tattoo. They usually formed after the blood exchange, on the cut the blood had come from. Aoko's was on the back of her hand. Her's was simple—a line bisecting a triangle—but that didn't mean Kaito didn't hate what it represented.

It was the visible sign of his failure. He was the one who should have been Bonded to Aoko. Their fathers had been bound until Toichi's death and had passed the expectation down to their children. Kaito was almost thankful that his dad had died before knowing what a disappointment his son was. Honestly, he had to be the first Kuroba in centuries who couldn't preform magick, who couldn't cast spells or even the smallest hex! He was completely human. What a disgrace. Sure, Kaito had taught himself stage "magic" in an attempt to compensate, but slight-of-hand had nothing on true power sparking at your fingertips.

He failed before he could even try. His best friend was Blood Bound to an ass who hated Kaito, his extended family refused to acknowledge his existence, and he couldn't even work at the Demonic Entrapment and Apprehension Department like his father had.

Not that he really wanted too. Who thought of that name!?

Aoko sniffed. "Aoko thinks Kaito is just jealous of Sugaru."

"Why the hell would I be jealous of that arrogant, pompous, jackass—"

"Kuroba." Speak of the devil. Sugaru Hakuba stood there intimidatingly while no doubt despising Kaito's very existence. The blond Mage was once again dressed in his traditional Sherlock Holmes outfit, looking ridiculously out of place in the modern café. He stood stiffly with Watson, his Blood-Bonded Thunderbird, perched on his shoulder. Kaito noticed the brand new watch on Hakuba's wrist. It was one of those that counted down to the millisecond, perfect for the anal-retentive detective. "It's…nice to see you again."

Kaito greeted Hakuba far less eloquently. "Hey bastard."

"Kaito! Stop insulting my boyfriend!"

"No, don't worry Aoko," the absolutely infuriating detective smirked at him. "I'm sure Kuroba is just stressed because he has a heist tonight."

Kaito glared. How could one of D.E.A.D.'s best detectives be so stupid!? "I'm not KID."

Kaitou KID was an infamous, internationally-wanted phantom thief. He'd appeared 20 years ago in Paris and spent the next 12 years relieving the rich of their valuables until disappearing. The assumed Mage had reappeared last year. Hakuba had made the ridiculous assumption that just because they shared a name and used stage magic and accused Kaito of being him every time they saw each other, despite the fact that there was less evidence than in a Salem witch trial.

Hakuba narrowed his eyes. "So you wouldn't mind telling me where you were two weeks ago, on Tuesday?"

"Shopping for illegal talismans so I can curse you into oblivion," Kaito snapped.

"And are there any reliable witnesses who could confirm this?"

Kaito rolled his eyes in frustration. "Why are you so obsessed with me being Kaitou KID!? I can't be him. I wasn't even born when he started stealing!"

"It's called succession. Someone you know obviously was the first KID, most likely your father since his dead and KID's disappearance coincide—"

Kaito grabbed the front of Hakuba's costume and pulled him close. "Don't you _ever_ bad talk my father again," he hissed, satisfaction curling in his gut from seeing Hakuba's stoic mask broken from shock. "I may not kill you but I can sure as hell make your life miserable, Aoko's boyfriend or no. And don't forget it." Kaito dropped him and hid his fury behind his poker face.

"Sugaru, what have I told you about this!" Aoko bared her fangs at him, her long, white hair floating up from the static electricity her anger was creating. "Kaito's not that stupid thief, so stop bringing it up!"

Smiling because Aoko was taking his side for once, Kaito snapped his fingers and pulled a peach-colored rose out of his sleeve with a puff of pink smoke as a distraction. He offered it to Aoko with a wink. "Thank you, oh brave knight, for protecting my virtue. Please accept this token of my appreciation."

Aoko giggled and accepted the flower. "I thank thee, fair princess, and—" Suddenly, both Aoko's and Hakuba's phones trilled loudly. They answered simultaneously, and from the sudden look of seriousness on Aoko's face, Kaito felt that their little meet up was cut short.

"I'm sorry, Kaito, work just came up," she whispered, her hand over the receiver. "We have to go, there's a Ghoul gone rogue near 8th street. He's trashing the butcher's shop."

"No, no, it's fine," Kaito said and sipped his triple mocha frappe with strawberry whip cream. The straw slurped noisily, accenting the awkwardness Kaito was trying to hide with his poker face. "Go save us humans from evil, Miss Nakamori."

She smiled and suddenly Kaito didn't feel so bad anymore. "Thanks, Kaito."

As Aoko and Hakuba left for what would no doubt be a difficult battle, Kaito sighed. "Left with the bill again," he said, more out of habit than anything else. Demons couldn't eat human food. It made them extremely sick, with lots of puking and gross bodily fluids. They drank blood until recently. Now, they drink synthetic blood or coconut milk, which hospitals can also substitute for a blood transfusion.

While Kaito was paying for his coffee, a shiver ran down his spine. Someone was watching him—and not the nice, "what a cute guy" kind of watching. He glanced in the mirror above the register and locked eyes with _her._

She seemed normal. She was _supposed_ to be normal. She looked about his age—17—with straight, red hair. But her eyes…her eyes were blood red. Kaito had only seen red eyes on a Demon before, all Demons had red eyes, but she looked so human. Demon's usually had some very obvious non-human characteristic besides the red irises—Banshees, like Aoko, had pure white skin and hair, Wraiths had black eye-whites and razor sharp claws, Incubi were extremely beautiful, but couldn't hide the curling horns on their heads or their long, pointed ears. But she…just looked human.

Everything in him screamed "Flee, predator!" Kaito's breath caught in his throat and his heart sped up, trying to jump out of his chest. The woman eyed him through the mirror, obviously amused, and then she smirked, revealing a mouth full of fangs. His heart skipped a beat. She made a move to get up…

Kaito threw his money on the counter and ran.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"I'm home!" Kaito called out to his empty house. His voice echoed back and Kaito let his happy mask fall, revealing tired eyes and a frown carved on his face. He shoved his hands in his pockets and shuffled up the stairs. "Geeze, Mom, would it kill you to be home for once? Or even in the same country?"

He flipped on the dying hall light and his eyes rested on one of the family photos that lined the walls. It was from 8 years ago, before Kaito's father's death. He and Aoko were smiling with gapped teeth and hugging each other, with their fathers smiling in the background. Those were the good days. He and Aoko rarely fought back then, back when there was still a chance he could use magick and that they'd be Blood Bonded. Kaito shook his head. God, he was getting obsessed.

Kaito touched the face of Toichi Kuroba tenderly, like the glass holding it would shatter under his touch. "Hey, Dad," he said as he smiled sadly. It was always so hard, seeing all these pictures of Dad around all the time. Maybe he should take them down, save himself the pain. It's not like Mom would care…

No. He shook his head, breaking him out of his sorrow. He needed these pictures. They were his last connection to his father and they reminded him every day of his goal. Kaito clenched his fists. He'd complete his goal even if he died trying and nothing was going to stop him.

Turning away from the photo, Kaito continued on to his room. It was a mess. Clothes flowed out of the dresser's drawers, various magic supplies littered the floor, and Kaito was pretty sure some type of new life form was growing under the bed. Kaito wrinkled his nose, but didn't comment on the mess. It was there for a reason, even if no one else realized it. Cautiously stepping over what appeared to be the remains of a failed firework, he sat down at his desk and logged on to his laptop. His screen saver—Hakuba in a rather…short dress—popped up. Kaito snickered at the memory; the usually stoic detective had been pissed at him for weeks for pranking him so badly. If it weren't illegal, Kaito was sure he would have been on the wrong side of a fire hex.

Magick was…complicated. It was everywhere, in everyone, but less than 2% of the population could use it. Demons could do some things with it, but their range of use was limited to a small aspect of one of the four elements. But Mages…humans born with the natural ability to harness magick can control all the elements, perform rituals, and do the impossible.

Dispelling the memory, Kaito video-called his mother. It took several minutes for her to pick up, in which Kaito's hands fidgeted their way through several scraps of paper and a piece of bright red string. Finally, her face appeared on the screen.

"Kaito!" she squealed, clutching her hands in front of her as her indigo eyes lit up with joy. Her hair had recently been cut and dyed into a purple bob cut, Kaito noticed. "Sweetheart! How are you? How's New York?"

"Hey, Mom. I'm fine and so is the city. Where are you right now?"

"Paris, of course!" She angled the camera so he could view the starry sky outside her window. "It's so beautiful! Absolutely wonderful!"

"Yeah, such a great way to spend Dad's savings…" Kaito muttered.

"Oh don't be so negative! You should be more happy, like Aoko. How is she, anyway?"

"She joined the Demonic Entrapment and Apprehension Division."

Mom made a face. "I swear, they named that Department only because they wanted to spell "DEAD." It sounds so xenophobic."

Kaito shrugged. He couldn't really disagree. The name did make it sound like they hated Demons, even if half of DEAD's employees were Demons. "She Blood Bonded to Hakuba two weeks ago."

Her smile dropped. He had constantly ranted to her in the past about his hate for the detective. "Oh, sweetie…"

"It's okay, Mom." Kaito couldn't stand her pity. He grits his teeth. It was time to get over this. He refused to continue to bitch and moan about not being Bonded to Aoko. This was the last straw. "Honestly, I've been expecting this for a long time."

She nodded and quickly changed the subject. "So, I heard that there is a Kaitou KID heist tonight! You must be so excited! Are you going?"

"Of course! I'm his number one fan after all~!" Kaito preened at her attention. KID heists were often open to the public, mostly because there would be a riot if they weren't. Civilians loved the phantom thief.

"Just be careful, okay? I hear that some DEAD officers are going to be there. They seem to have come to the conclusion that KID is a Mage with a demon accomplice."

Kaito snorted. Kaitou KID, gentleman thief, using magick spells instead of magic tricks? Ridiculous. "Don't worry, Mom. KID never loses to the police."

"But what if he does?"

"Then the world will have witnessed the single most unlikely thing to have ever happened in the history of forever."

His mom laughed, but was cut off by a yawn. "Glad you're so confident, honey. Whoo, it's just past midnight here! You better leave early if you want to get a good seat. Don't get into too much trouble, okay?"

"I don't get into trouble, it just finds me like it's some kind of weird stalker," he said, smirking. "Bye, Mom. I love you."

"Of course you do, I'm amazing. Bye-bye honey!"

As he closed his computer, Kaito ran a hand through his spiked hair. Tonight, KID was targeting a blue diamond called the Mermaid's Tear. The thief only went after gems with interesting stories and this one was no different. Rumors said any who owned the jewel gained incredibly good luck. Not that KID needed it. He was kissed by Lady Luck herself.

Kaito stood up and stretched, popping his back. He stepped over the mess to what appeared to be a blank wall and pressed a coffee-colored stain. As the secret button activated an internal mechanism, Kaito back up as the hidden closet opened reveal a familiar white suit, pressed to perfection. A tall top hat of the same color with a blue ribbon sat on a shelf above the suit. Kaito picked up a monocle—white, like everything else, with a four-leaf clover charm hanging off—and placed it over his right eye. Kaito smirked and began to overlook the supplies lining the bottom of the secret closet. A grappling hook, several multi colored smoke pellets, and instant hair dye were several of the things that caught his eye. The monocle glinted as he started to put on his suit.

He had a heist to pull after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Toichi Kuroba had been many things. A husband, father, Mage, friend. But no one—no his wife, not his son, not even his Blood Bonded partner at D.E.A.D. who could _feel_ his emotions—had known his secret until Kaito discovered it last year after literally falling into it. No one had known that he had been the magician under the moonlight. The first Kaitou KID.

Not one single person noticed Kaito hiding in the air vents above them. KID's personal task force scurried beneath him, busy trying to set up some trap to capture him. Kaito giggled to himself. They had no idea that he knew exactly what they'd planned and had set up some counter traps for them. Nothing harmful, of course. He had a reputation to uphold and no one got hurt at a KID heist.

It was one of the rules his father had set up when he was alive. Kaitou KID heists were supposed to be fun for everyone, especially for the cheering fans outside. Even the police men that chased him had fun…at least, Kaito thought so. Why else would they keep coming back after being excessively pranked and embarrassed on national television? But people couldn't have fun if they were worried about getting hurt, so Kaito always took precautions to make sure his heists were as safe as possible.

Kaito loved being KID. He loved performing, he loved the adoring crowds, he loved matching wits with New York's greatest, and flamboyantly escaping from the police. Being KID has easily become his entire reason. He lived for wearing the white suit, cape, and monocle.

Unfortunately, it couldn't all be fun and games. No matter how much he loved it, KID didn't reappear just for his own amusement nor to satisfy his ego. KID came back so Kaito could draw out his father's murderers.

He scanned the crowd below him. All of his task force members were present and accounted for and, over in the corner by the huge bay windows, stood the owner of tonight's conquest, wringing his hands and glancing around nervously. Kaito pitied the guy, but there was no reason to worry. Every jewel KID stole was returned to the owner within the month, since Kaito had no desire to keep them or any profit selling them would create. The gems didn't matter to him.

There was a stranger here tonight. Kaito eyed the man warily. He didn't seem dangerous. The man was a teen, like Kaito, but walked with a cane, leaning heavily on it like he couldn't walk without it. His neat hair hid his eyes, but the very distinct cowlick on the back of his head made his easy to spot. And…well then. Ether there was a gun in that man's pocket or he was happy to see someone.

The rest of the room seemed fairly harmless. The task force and he had an unspoken agreement; they didn't shoot at him and he wouldn't shoot at them. The gun in his pocket was loaded with silver bullets and rested heavily in his pocket, ready for use, yet as always Kaito hoped he wouldn't have to use it.

The doors crashed open and Kaito cursed under his breath. He'd been hoping that they'd be too busy tonight to be the ones dispatched, but it looked like Lady Luck had abandoned him on that aspect. Aoko and Hakuba strolled into the museum like they owned it and approached the task force leader, Heiji Hattori.

Kaito put an earpiece in and flicked on his transmitter before adjusting it, trying to find the listening device closest to them. He had bugged the room yesterday disguised as an elderly tourist from Australia. He switched to the bug on the gem's display case and turned up the volume.

"Hattori," Hakuba greeted pleasantly enough, but of course the man's personality had to ruin any civility. "It appears that you are once again trying to be competent. While you're sure to fail just like all the other times, I'm sure you and your officer's antics will amuse whatever reporters your men have inadvertently let in."

Aoko belatedly elbowed him in the stomach while Hattori's second in command, Kazuha Toyama, squeezed Heiji's shoulder in an attempt to hold the irritated inspector back. "What do you want, moron?" she snapped. "Your division isn't welcome here."

Kaito could just imagine Hakuba's condescending smirk as he offered a slip of paper to Toyama. "We've been ordered to investigate and capture the Kaitou KID. We're here to determine if KID is a Mage or perhaps some type of Demon."

Hattori snatched the paper out of his hand and glared at him, straightening to his full height. Heiji was an intimidating man at 6'4 with dark skin and black eyes. But he was a good guy and his temper rarely went beyond yelling…unless, of course, he was talking to Hakuba. Put the two in a room alone together and it would probably blow up from the amount of ego in it. "You follow our lead, bastard," Hattori growled. "You don't get in our way and you especially don't start firing off your damn spells every which way, you got it!?"

Hakuba bowed his head. "Of course. If you don't mind me asking, who is that gentleman over there? I recognize every police officer but him."

He was talking about the stranger with the cane. Hattori stiffened before answering. "He's an old friend of mine, Shinichi Kudo. He asked if he could be of service tonight and I allowed him to have a hand in the preparations. Do you have a problem with it?"

"No, not at all," Aoko said before Hakuba could get into another argument. "He was just curious. Thank you, Inspector Hattori."

Hakuba and Hattori moved to opposite sides of the room—Hattori resided at the windows, where he no doubt expected Kaito to flee to while Hakuba lingered among the police, probably assuming KID was disguised as one of them. Aoko and Kazuha stayed near the jewel, talking pleasantly to each other now that the other two were gone. Kaito grimaced; not only would he now have to counter Hakuba's fire spells and the ear-drum-busting screech all Banshee's could make, but he'd also have to figure out what to do about Aoko's Tempestas powers.

All Demons have specific types of powers that varied among species. While there were many species of Demons, like Ghouls and Harpies and all that, there were only 12 types that usually stayed the same for each species with few exceptions. Aoko was one of these exceptions; instead of being the Ventus, or Wind type, she was the Tempestas type, giving her power over storms. In an enclosed environment like this one, summoning a storm could very well kill someone, so Kaito had to make sure she never felt provoked enough to create one. She'd never forgive herself if she killed someone.

The back of his neck prickled and Kaito whirled around, half believing that someone would be crouched in the vent behind him. He scanned the darkness, trying to find whatever was giving him this uneasy feeling; there was nothing in the shadows, but Kaito knew better than to trust his eyes. A Djinn or a Chimera could easily dissolve into the air and a Black Dog could reverse the way light reflected, giving it the appearance of its surroundings.

The feeling of being watched faded and Kaito turned back to the grate only to find that the stranger, Shinichi Kudo, was staring up at him. His eyes were blue, Kaito realized dully as surprise from being found gripped him. There was arrogance in those eyes, but also something else that changed his arrogance into something almost desirable. There was excitement. Anticipation.

A challenge.

A smirk pulled up Kaito's lips as he tilted his head and he was thrilled when Kudo returned the gesture. This man—no, this Great Detective, for what else could find him so quickly in the shadows?—could be exactly what he needed. Kaito hesitated to kill anyone, even the men who killed his father, but if someone could figure out his movements, find him when he was confronting the murderers…

Reaching into his pocket, Kaito pressed the button to destroy the main light system. Men shouted below as Kaito unscrewed the grate. He jumped from the vent, his cape fluttering majestically behind him. In less than 30 seconds, Kaito was standing on top of the display case, Mermaid's Tear in hand.

Someone finally figured out that the spot lights were still working and flipped the switch. Kaito flung out his arms as bright light landed straight on his white-clad form. Despite the shadows from the brim of his hat, Kaito's massive grin was clearly visible to the shocked and infuriated members of the room. His eyes raked over the minor police men and landed on the amused Great Detective. His grin grew wider as he proclaimed in a booming voice,

 _ **"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the show!"**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Kaitou KID!"

Kaito smirked at Hattori's enraged shout, easily falling into the role of the charming performer. The Task Force was frozen in shocked awe, Hattori and Aoko were spitting mad, and Hakuba was staring at him with calculating eyes. Shinichi, his detective, was watching him, amused, and Kaito preened at his attention. "Inspector Hattori, I thank you for such a warm welcome, even though it was completely unnecessary." He held the sapphire up to the dim, waning moonlight streaming in through the skylight. "You even brought me some new friends to play with! I'm flattered, really."

Heiji growled. "We'll get you this time, KID!"

"Don't you have any new lines? That one's getting a bit old," Kaito quipped. Hattori was practically foaming at the mouth as he lunged at Kaito, Kazuha at his heels. Kaito's smirk grew. Now.

With the press of a button hidden in his outstretched hands, Kaito blew up the spotlights and the skylight. Glass tumbled down, hitting the exact area Heiji and Kazuha had vacated seconds before. The minor explosion triggered a rocket that he'd prepared earlier and, through a wire, connected to his cape. It was child's lay to disconnect his cape and cover himself in a huge, black cloth as his cape went out the skylight. In the dim light, it looked like Kaitou KID was escaping with his prize.

While researching this museum's blueprints so he could perform his heist, Kaito made a very interesting discovery. The man who had designed this particular display room had wanted there to be easy access to the roof in order to clean the outside of the skylight. So, he had created a secret door behind the display case that led to stairs for the roof. Kaito locked eyes with his blue eyed detective as he fled and gave him a flirty wink. Why not? It felt appropriate and the way the teen's face flushed, bright enough to be seen in the dark, was cute. As Kaito closed the secret door behind him, he heard Hattori yell, "To your police cars! KID is escaping on his hang glider!"

Kaito snickered. "Oh, you'll wish that's how I'm escaping tonight, you two-bit inspector… I should probably stop talking to myself."

"That's probably a good idea," a dry but amused voice said. Kaito whirled around, gun in hand. There was no sign of the woman he had heard, only shadows. There was nothing there.

"And now I'm hearing things…" he muttered before racing up the stairs. He was exiting the building when the secret door opened below. Kaito shivered with excitement. Was this his Great Detective, working his way up so he could confront Kaito on the roof? He'd go easy on him at first, just because of his leg, but the moment the detective showed how capable he was even when injured would be the moment the real fun began.

The roof was a broken limb waiting to happen, with two tall air conditioning units and the shattered skylight between it. Kaito scaled one of the units to watch the police cars speeding away from the museum. He made a face. "Idiots…" Honestly, did no one notice the cape crumpled on the ground a block away? Well, maybe a fan would find it. He had several to spare.

He heard the sound of many guns cocking behind him and Kaito smoothed out his poker face as he turned. There were 3 Ghouls on both sides of the air conditioner, with their gray, flaky skin and red, bulging eyes. In front of Kaito stood Snake, a Wraith. Wraiths had back eye-whites, razor claws, and jaws that could unhinge like a snake. Seven guns were pointed at him and Snake sneered. "Kaitou KID. It appears that you've fallen into our trap."

"What trap? All you did was sneak up behind me." Kaito casually put his hands in his pockets and suddenly grabbed his gun. There was no way he'd get out of this without shooting someone this time. His stomach turned in disgust. "Tsk-tsk. And you have the nerve you call yourself assassins."

Snake's eye twitched. "Impudent brat," he growled from under his pedo-stache.

"I don't think you're using that word incorrectly." Out of the corner of his eye, Kaito noticed a figure sneaking around the back of the second air conditioning unit. Great, another one.

"Give us the Mermaid's Tear, KID, and we'll let you live."

"Your constant sniping at me seems to suggest otherwise," Kaito said, but revealed the jewel anyway. "So, this is one of the gems you're looking for? It doesn't look like much…"

"KID!" A familiar voice screeched from below.

Snake glared as his finger brushed the trigger. "Give us the jewel or you're dead, Mage!"

Kaito shook his head. "Snake, Snake…you never learn. When do I ever do as you say?" He threw down a few pellets and smoke covered his grinning figure. Several shots rang as Kaito jumped off the unit. He switched off the safety on his own pistol and turned the corner of the machine to see…3 dead Ghouls. A shiver of fear swept through him. He wasn't alone. Kaito hoped that it was the police or the Kudo detective or else he was in a load of trouble. As the thief crept forward, another shot pierced the night, followed by a scream. Kaito saw Snake dive off the roof, leaving Kaito alone with at least 2 of his henchmen and a mystery shooter. Joy.

The door of the roof burst open and Kaito hid in the shadows before Aoko could spot him. Her eyes widened, horrified, when she saw the bodies. "KID…what…?"

"It wasn't KID." A woman appeared from nowhere, literally nowhere with shadows clinging to her trench coat. Fear struck Kaito's heart as she leveled a gun to Aoko's head. "You have one chance, Phantom Thief. It ether of you attack me, she dies. If you try to call for help, she dies. It you don't give the Mermaid's Tear, then I will blow this building to pieces."

It was the woman from earlier, from the café. She looked no different from then except for the white mask covering her hell-eyes. And her voice…it was the one that he had heard on the stairs. How long has she been watching him?

He carefully stepped from his hiding place, his hands near his eyes and holding the sapphire. She could have the jewel for all he cared; it was only a method of drawing out Snake. No one needed to die over it. He eyed the bodies of Snake's lackeys, no doubt killed by this woman. Well, no one else anyway.

"That's close enough. Throw it over."

Aoko trembled with rage and the clouds swirled in response, but even she wasn't stupid enough to attack with a gun pointed at her. Especially if it was loaded with silver. Kaito tossed the gem over and the shadow woman caught it without taking her eyes off Aoko, rightfully deeming her as the more dangerous foe. A smug smirk lifted her lips. "Good choice," she said as she stepped back once, twice, and then she was completely consumed by the shadows, melting into them like they were water and not just a product of the lack of light.

Kaito and Aoko eye each other carefully. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. This was not good; people were dead, some mysterious Demon of a species he'd never seen had the gem, and now he was alone with a very pissed off Aoko. Kaito tried to sneak away, but flinched as the wind picked up in speed. The Banshee was done screwing around.

"Don't even try it, thief," Aoko growled as she stalked towards him, minding the destroyed skylight. In a single moment, two things happened; Aoko came within five feet of Kaito and a gun glinted off the streetlight behind her.

Compared to other Demons, Banshees have extremely bad hearing because their main power is screaming loud enough to break eardrums. But as Kaito rushed forward and pushed her to the side, nothing could miss the thunderous cracks from a gun. Breath-shattering pain erupted in Kaito's stomach and shoulder as the bullets pierced him. Kaito barely stayed standing, but managed to grab his gun and fire blindly in the general direction of Snake's henchmen. He staggered and turned to Aoko, who was staring at him in shock and…betrayal? Belatedly, Kaito realized that his hat had blown off, leaving his face covered by only his monocle. Her face looked wreaked, her eyes shining with unshed tears and her mouth wrenched open in a silent cry. She reached out for him and Kaito stepped back.

Into open air.

Time didn't slow like how people describe falling in books. Colors rushed pasted him as Kaito fell through the skylight. He could do nothing but fall until he crashed to the ground.

Something crack and Kaito screamed in pain. Blood blossomed on his white suit and something was sticking out. That's going to be a bitch to clean, Kaito thought hazily. He breathed in harsh, shallow pants that made his chest hurt even more.

Glass crunched. Kaito tried to move his head, but his neck screamed at the attempt. Black spots danced before his eyes as blue hovered over him—big, blue eyes like a firework in July, framed with delicate eyelashes like feather dusters or something even more amazing. Kaito couldn't really think well right now, so he just focused on the eyes. There was concern, and worry, and the tiniest hint of what Kaito thought was guilt—

Then everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It had only been a week since Kaito was shot twice. Only a week since the entire police force discovered that he was Kaitou KID.

Only a week since he's been locked out of his own body.

The doctors told Aoko that he was lucky to be alive, if you could call this alive. If the fall had been any higher, then he'd be dead. But "fortunately" (and Kaito had tried to punch the doctor for using that word) it was only 2 stories tall, so he'd only broken a few bones. The bullets had done far worst damage to his body; his left shoulder was shattered and his spinal cord had been nicked, doing unknown damage to his nerves. Aoko ran out crying after that.

Kaito glared at his body and tried to swat at it, but his hand went straight through. This was horrible! He couldn't touch anything, he couldn't leave the room, and he couldn't do shit when people came in and—oh, no.

The door opened and Mom came in. She looked horrible, with her eyes big and puffy. Her hair was tangled and knotted far more than it should have been for such a short cut. Kaito winced as a painful shudder went through his chest. Oh, God, not again. He could barely stand it when Aoko was the one here, how could he stand it now—

The pain spiked when he saw the tears flowing from her eyes. Her face was blotchy and red; she had never been a graceful crier. Chikage Kuroba sat down beside her son's body and held his limp hand. She stroked it, gently like she'd break him even further if she was too rough. Kaito sat on the floor, next to her chair, so he could stare up at her distraught face in an attempt to be there for her, even though she couldn't see him. He was sure that his own face looked similar.

"The most unlikely thing in the history of forever, right Kaito?" Mom whispered, squeezing his hand. Kaito could feel it, a phantom of what it should have been. "Inspector Hattori hasn't released your name to the public. He…he told me it wouldn't be good taste to have reporters flooding your room and bothering Aoko and I. He's a good man." Kaito agreed.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here, baby," she sobbed and Kaito felt the ghostly impression of tears leak from his eyes. They weren't real though, just phantoms like him. "I'm so sorry…after you dad died, I wasn't much of a mom, was I? I missed him so much, the only one I miss more now is you, and you look just like him. Did I ever say that? And then you donned that damned mantle too and…a-and… Oh, I knew this would happen! I should have done something, been a better mother! I could have warned you, forced you not to be KID, move you out of the country, to safety!" Mom wiped her eyes and smiled bitterly. "But you would have insisted. You got Toichi's stubbornness, and his need to protect his family. I should have told you how much you were like him sooner."

There was a knock at the door and it opened to reveal a brunette nurse. Her curly hair was twisted into a strict bun, but her hazel eyes had a kind light to them. "Ms. Kuroba? I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to leave. Visiting hours are over and it's time to give Kaito his sponge **bath**."

Kaito shuttered in shame at the mention of his bath. Mom frowned, but nodded and stood. She pressed her lips to his forehead and Kaito smiled at the ghost kiss his corporeal form received. "Bye, honey. I'll be back tomorrow." She left slowly and the nurse—she looked new, Kaito didn't know her name—closed the door behind her. The lock clicked.

The back of Kaito's neck prickled as the nurse looked at him. Not near him, or through him, or even at his physical body, but _directly at him._ "Hello, Kaito Kuroba," she said, voice low and familiar. "Or would you prefer Kaitou KID?"

"Who are you!?" Kaito snarled. Somehow, this woman could see him, but how did she know about KID!?

She smiled maliciously and Kaito was horrified to see that all her teeth were pointed, like a mouth full of knives. "Do you really not recognize me? I only changed my hair and eyes." Reaching up to undo her bun, her hair fell in straight, red waves and the hazel faded from her eyes, only to be replaced by cruel crimson.

Kaito scooted back, scrambling to his feet. "You…you're the one that stole the Mermaid's Tear!"

"Call me Akako," she purred.

"What are you?" Kaito asked. "I've never seen a Demon like you before…and you could manipulate shadows! And you just shapeshifted! Those powers are only rumors, myths!"

"That's because D.E.A.D. doesn't want anyone to know about what you've seen of me, KID," Akako said. "My species is called Humanoid, original name I know. A Humanoid is a Demon created by a Mage from a human body."

"That's impossible."

"Obviously it isn't because here I am." Akako sat in his mom's chair and crossed her long legs. She looked out of place, like a queen dressed in scrubs. "My creator wants to make a deal with you, if you'll hear it."

"What do they want?"  
"You'll can't get back in your body. He is willing to save your life, but you'll have to become a Humanoid like me and obey him."

Kaito narrowed his eyes. "No chance in hell."

"Funny," she glared. "But what else can you do? You're never going to get back in your body. It's going to shut down soon without your soul to power it and you'll pass on, all alone. And a Mage would never fix you. Despite the fact that they can heal you doesn't mean that one will break their laws just to save your pitiful life. This is your only choice to stay alive."

"Being a Humanoid…" Kaito bit his lip. "What would it do to me?"

"Only great things," she said. "You'll be strong, fast, powerful, everything you're not. _Our_ creator would even allow you to have revenge on the ones who killed you, the Wraith called Snake and all those who work above and below him. All it would cost you is your humanity."

Kaito leaned away from the smiling predator. What did she mean, costing him his humanity? "I don't understand."

"You'll lose your precious morals, KID," Akako leaned forward, her eyes tearing into his. "The things you believe in, your hopes and dreams. You're innocence will be ripped from you as you know all of the horrors of the world, yourself being the worst of them all. Your creator will become your lifeline as your family screams in fear and your friends flinch at the thought of you. And over time, you won't care. That's what being a Humanoid's about."

"But my mom…Aoko…"

"And what do you think will happen to them when you're dying? Snake still thinks you have the jewel. If he finds out who you are and you're not alive to defend them…"

"You're heartless," Kaito spat. How dare she bring his family into this!?

"The doctors are still trying to get me one, but nothing's come up yet." She shot back. "Do we have a deal?" Kaito closed his eyes. "Tick tock, KID. Your D.E.A.D. friends are almost here. You have to make your decision _now_."

"Will I still care about them?" His voice was soft and terrified. "Mom and Aoko?"

"Yes. If your emotions for people are strong enough, then nothing will ever be able to change how you feel."

Biting his lip, Kaito stared down at his body. It was pitiful like Akako had said, covered in a motley of bruises and bandages with luck being the only thing keeping him together. Helpless. But he'd stay human if he said no, he'd still be able to claim he was a good person. "I accept your deal," he said. But a boy in a coma wouldn't be able to help anyone.

Akako smiled, quick and sharp, before reaching into the pocket of her scrubs, pulling out a packet of blood, and ripping it open with her teeth. Blood sloshed out, coating her mouth and staining her fangs. "What are you doing!?" Kaito asked, scandalized, as Akako dipped her hand in it and rubbed the blood onto the lower half of her face with overdramatic sweeps.

"Can't you just trust me!?"

"Not when you're rubbing blood all over yourself like you're in a vampire porno." She rolled her eyes and dumped the bag's remaining contents on his body's neck. "What the hell!?"

"One, don't be stupid. Vampires don't exist," she said as she pulled out his IV and began removing his heart monitors. "Two, D.E.A.D.'s has this stereotype that Humanoid's are irrational, bloodthirsty monsters. Obviously, this isn't completely true, but it doesn't hurt to pretend we are. It's better for them to think you'll be food."

The doorknob jiggled insistently. The suddenly loss of heartbeat on the monitor probably alerted the nurses that something was wrong. Akako scooped up his body like it was nothing, his head close to her…well-endowed chest. Kaito jerked back, embarrassed. "Now look what you've done!" Kaito said, swiftly turning to anger. "The only exit is blocked!"

She raised an eyebrow coyly and turned towards the window. "Oh, really?"

Realization dawned on him. "Y-You…your joking, you…we're four stories high!"

"That means nothing to me." Shifting Kaito's dead weight to one arm, Akako snapped her fingers.

The window glass shattered outwards and someone screamed from the other side of the door. Kaito stared in awe. Was this the power Akako had talked about? She hadn't even needed to touch it, the window had just reacted to her will. Almost…almost like…

Real Magick.

Kaito numbly watched Akako climb upon the broken window sill, his body and all, but was shocked from his awe when the door crunched inward from a concussion spell. Hakuba and Aoko rushed in only to freeze when they spotted Akako, her clothes flapping in the wind as she subtly angled Kaito's bloody neck towards them. Like the dramatic _witch_ she was, Akako hissed at them, baring bloody fangs in a feral expression of dominance. Then, before the Mage or Banshee could do anything, Akako stepped off the window.

An invisible cord roughly tugged Kaito by his navel and he was falling after her. He gave an involuntary shriek, fear curdling his gut. Oh God, he was going to die again, splatter on the concrete like a little bug—

Akako landed smoothly on her feet, the road rupturing under her. The cord continued to pull Kaito along as she sprinted towards a car, light grey with tinted windows. She carelessly threw Kaito's body in the back, with him following it, before getting into the driver's seat. Akako revved the engine and tore out of the hospital parking lot.

While she was burning rubber, Kaito was trying not to phase into his own body. It was hard; Kaito had learned from a past encounter that if he phased through too much of his body, then he'd get stuck there for up to 12 hours. While it had given the doctors the encouraged belief that he wasn't completely brain dead, Kaito had no desire to repeat the experience of blank, dark nothingness in between horrifying nightmares. But Kaito didn't have a choice as the darkness dragged him down and in once again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Kaito woke to a burning pain in his throat.

It was like someone had taken sandpaper and scrubbed away at the inside of his throat before pouring vinegar down it. It stung and burned and Kaito was willing to do anything to relieve the feeling.

He cracked open his crusty eyes and whined at the bright light. Kaito was in a fancy bedroom filled with blues and whites, lying under a soft bedspread that Kaito couldn't really appreciate at the moment. There was a door opened to a connecting bathroom and Kaito lunged for it. He yanked the tap on and stuck his head under the sink's facet, water rushing into his mouth. Gulping it down greedily, Kaito screamed as pain lanced threw his gums. He jerked back into the wall, the tile cracking behind him.

After wiping the offending liquid from his lips, Kaito found himself entranced by the mirror over the sink. The person in the reflection was definitely him, it had his porcupine hair and his face, but… Red eyes stared fearfully back at him. Kaito hesitantly stepped towards the mirror, and then looked back at the broken tile. He…he'd done that. Returning to his reflection, Kaito lifted his upper lip, revealing a row of razor sharp fangs.

Something hit him in the head and Kaito whirled around to see Akako standing in the bedroom. She was dressed in loose, black clothing. "Drink up," she said. "It's synthetic." She had thrown a blood packet at him and, true to her word, the label said Synthetic B Positive.

He weighted the bag in his hand. There wasn't any opening… Kaito remembered how Akako had simply ripped it open with her teeth, shrugged, and bit the corner off. The smell hit him and he shuddered. He'd never been able to smell blood before. Shifting his grip, Kaito tipped the packet back and swallowed a mouthful.

It tasted off, not that Kaito knew what blood was supposed to taste like, but it felt so soothing on his poor, abused throat that he swallowed gulp after gulp as Akako watched. The bag crinkled noisily when he sucked it dry and Kaito dropped it, disgusted with himself. He had barely even hesitated drinking; even if Akako had told him it was a child's blood, he still would have taken it. He really was…

Akako laughed at his expression. "Aw, does the wittle baby not wike being a Demon?" she mocked.

Kaito actually growled, a deep, rumbling sound that startled him more than Akako. "Shut up, witch."

She hissed, eyes flashing with rage. Witch was a serious insult to a Mage, particularly to a female; Kaito knew from the reaction Hakuba had went he first called the detective that.

"Akako, stop being overdramatic."

Kaito turned towards the speaker who had just entered and saw one of the last people he had expected, right after his mom and Hakuba. "Shinichi Kudo…"

Said man stood in the other doorway in the bedroom, dressed imposingly in a suit and tie. Kaito tensed when he realized that he was still wearing the bloodstained hospital gown he had been in when Akako kidnapped him. Now that he was closer to him, Kaito could see little details that his glance over during his heist had missed. The cane Shinichi was leaning appeared to be a type of ebony, maybe iron blackwood, topped with a decorative eagle head. His hair wasn't nearly as neat as Kaito had thought, windswept more than gelled, and his ears stuck out. Like, a lot. High cheek bones accented Shinichi's blue eyes, making them seem far more piercing than they had any business being.

His smile was kind, but a little sad. "I suppose introductions are pointless now," he sighed.

"Yeah, looks like it," Kaito said. "So you're the one who…" Trying to find the right words, Kaito ran his tongue over his teeth. Not his best idea. The muscle was easily sliced by his fangs. "Ow! Shit!"

Akako laughed as Kaito grabbed a washcloth and stuffed it in his mouth to stop the bleeding and muffle his curses. Shinichi stifled a laugh. "I apologize. While your transformation into a Humanoid was successful, the majority of your body is still catching up. All of your major organ systems are now a Demon's—your brain, heart, digestive system—as is all of your blood, but the rest are still frail like a human's. Your eyes and your teeth were the first to change. The rest of the transformation should occur within the next few weeks."

Kaito nodded and removed the bloodied rag. His tongue didn't hurt anymore; did Humanoid's have faster healing? He checked in the mirror. It looked fine—what in the 7th circle of hell!?

There, resting in the center of his tongue like it had always been there, was a Blood Bond. A four leaf clover inside an ace of spades, to be exact. Kaito gingerly touched the black mark with a finger and Shinichi shuddered from the corner of his eye.

Now that he thought about it, he totally should be freaking out right now. He woke up in a strange place, he chugged blood like it was Red Bull on an exam night, and now he was Blood Bonded to a complete stranger who, no matter how pretty Kaito thought he was, turned him into a Demon. "Are you manipulating my emotions?" Kaito accused.

Shinichi looked away, blushing. "Not manipulating! I'm just…keeping you calm until I explain some things."

"Well, go on. Explain. Shed some light on the situation."

He looked at Kaito's bloody gown, which barely covered everything, and his blush extended up to his ears. "There are some clothes in the dresser. Put some on and we'll talk in my study."

Kaito smirked. Oh, was Shin-chan shy? He cocked his hip seductively and Shinichi sputtered before rushing from the room. Kaito snickered only to wince when Akako slapped him upside the head. "Ow! What was that for!?"

Akako glared. "Get dressed," she snarled and stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her. Suddenly, all the panic that Shinichi had been holding back flooded over him, leaving him to drown. Oh God, what had he done!? He had willingly given his soul over to a stranger, a Mage and his Demon, and now he was… _this! This thing!_

His knees collapsed and Kaito fell roughly to the cold, hard floor. He'd never see Aoko again, or Mom, or the kids at school, or even _Hakuba_ for God's sake, all because…because they'd get hurt if he didn't. That's right. He'd forgotten. Snake and his men would have gone after them when Hattori released his identity to the public; he would have to since they "captured" him. Not that Aoko couldn't defend herself, she was an absolute terror. And Mom was a decent Mage of her own right, but…Snake had killed the Greatest Mage in the world, her husband.

And Snake had killed her son. But Kaito swore he'd be the last victim.

Standing unsteadily, Kaito managed to stagger to the dresser. The panic was still there, but Kaito could ignore it. He opened a drawer and grimaced. Everything in it was black; Akako probably picked it out just to spite him, damn witch. Kaito pulled on a pair of briefs and jeans, but hesitated in pulling off the hospital gown. What did he look like? Was anything else changed? He threw caution into the wind and tore away the flimsy dress.

He looked fine. Even better than fine, in fact… Kaito frowned. He couldn't spot any of the scars he had collected over the past year, not even the one he had received…how many days had he been out? Kaito shook his head and pulled a turtle neck over his head. He'd ask Shinichi later.

Now fully dressed, Kaito took his first step out of his bedroom. The floor was cold under his bare feet as he walked down the stylish, if dusty, hall. He felt the irrational feeling of déjà vu, even though Kaito knew he'd never been there before in his life. Kaito took a step down the hall and the feeling increased. He followed the feeling past some rather odd rooms, like a pool, an indoor theater, and…was that a potions lab!? Kaito wanted to stop and drool over the only magick a human could perform, but the feeling suddenly grew insistent, enough to cause Kaito to run.

The hall blurred by him before Kaito skidded to a stop outside a plain door. It wasn't elaborate, but Kaito knew it would be important anyway. He knocked and heard Shinichi's voice from inside. "Come in!"

Kaito opened the door to see an impressive library that smelled of old paper and peppermint. It had floor to wall bookshelves on every wall and from the look of it, the books were very old. While lacking in size, the room made up with comfort; plush sofas and armchairs were placed around every available light source. A desk and leather chair sat in the center of the room and there was Shinichi, leaning over several papers.

He looked up when Kaito entered. "Good, you felt me. I wasn't sure if you could; Akako barely sensed anything from me when I first turned her. I'm glad you're different. If you're already so in tune with your powers, it will make everything easier in the long run."

"That was you? The déjà vu?"

"Yes, a projected feeling of what I felt about the area you were in, getting stronger the closer to me you came." Shinichi gestured to one of the armchairs near him. "Please sit. This may take a while."

"I'd rather stand," Kaito said, crossing his arms.

Shinichi smiled, amused. "As you wish." Kaito scowled at the condescending tone. "I believe I owe you some answers?"

"Yeah. Why did you decide to turn me into a Humanoid?"

"Straight to the point, then," Shinichi sighed. "I turned you into a Humanoid because Akako and I need help. Over a year ago, we stumbled upon an organization's dealing and they tried to kill us. Its top members are all Humanoids, controlled by their leader, a Mage known only by Anokata. This group, the Black Organization, is responsible for the assassinations of several important Mages and humans, primarily politicians and police men.

"Why haven't you gone to D.E.A.D. with this information?" Kaito asked. "Wouldn't they help you?"

"D.E.A.D. and I don't really see eye to eye anymore, despite how often they ask for my help," Shinichi said, rubbing his knee. "And I have no doubt that if I did do that they'd discover I've created one, now two, Humanoids, the most illegal thing a Mage can do. The three of us would be executed with extreme prejudice."

"Yeah, D.E.A.D.'s a bad idea now, need to remember that…" Kaito muttered. "But you haven't explained why you need another Demon. Surely I can't make so much of a difference."

"You'd be surprised at what you can do with the right training… The Organization is very well hidden. We have no idea where and when members are going to turn up except for one place."

"My heists," Kaito realized. "Snake's a member?"

"Yes, he's a lackey for one of the top members, Gin. He's the one who nearly killed me." Kaito noticed how he didn't mention anything about Akako. "If we could draw out Snake, capture, and interrogate him, the we would know where their base After that, it would be like shooting chickens in a hen house."

"Well, aren't you cocky."

"I'm not cocky, I'm just always right."

Kaito snorted. "Sure, Shin-sama. But, why me in particular?"

Shinichi lost his confident and looked down at his clasped hands. "It's because…I blame myself for your injury. I'm the one who shot those Ghouls on the roof that night. I should have killed the two that shot you before they could hurt anyone and that means it was my fault you fell. When I learned that you were in a coma, I thought you'd prefer even a Demon's life than to watching your body decay in an unfeeling hospital."

The two stared at each other awkwardly until Kaito deliberately coughed. "So, what do we do now, Shin-sama?"

He frowned. "Please don't call me that. I am in no way superior to you."

"Shin-chan, then."

"That's almost worse…" Shinichi groaned. "Now? We train you to kill Humanoids."

"Geeze, you know, you're not giving me a very positive self-image with all your talk of killing Humanoid Demons. It's like you're trying to transform me into a KID shaped ball of angst and self-loathing for the sake of misguided character development. Is there _anything_ likeable about my new Species!?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"So," Akako smiled wickedly at her captive, who was trying desperately to escape. "You think you have what it takes to be a Demon?"

"Hell no!" Kaito spat back, struggling against the bonds Shinichi had put him in when he had first tried to run from the witch. Shinichi had merely snapped his fingers and the rope had materialized around him, which would have been cool if, you know, _he wasn't at the mercy of Akako._ Kaito tugged harder at the rope. Either cracking the tile in his bathroom had been a fluke or Shinichi had made these ropes extra strong.

Akako laughed haughtily at him. They were in a room that was a cross between a gym and a shooting range. Targets covered the far wall, and even from a distance, Kaito could see that they were riddled with holes. There were bars on the ceiling from which you could hang from, a variety of guns mounted on the wall, and a makeshift obstacle course made from balance beams and spring boards.

"Oh, Kuroba, you're adorable when you're angry," she mocked. "It's like watching a hedgehog try to attack you. But as amusing as your general existence is, we should probably get to work. Kaitou KID has to be back by December's Blue Moon."

"Why? That's just over a month away."

"It's the closest to Winter Solstice, an important holiday for Mages. While Demons see no point to holidays, Mages believe there are certain days of power to perform certain magicks. The Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, represents night becoming day, good overcoming evil. But that's why Shinichi likes it. It's the Blue Moon that is really important." Akako paused to look at him. "Why do you think I sent Shinichi out of the room?"

"Because training is dangerous." It sounded like a question.

She scoffed. "Hardly. Shinichi could easily defend himself against a baby Demon. No, I asked him to leave because he has more important things to do than listen to lessons he's had before and to help explain secrets that have been kept than longer than we've all been alive. We'll be going over them in the next few training sessions."

"Oh great. I'm part of another conspiracy. Joy."

Akako ignored his sarcasm. "Do you remember the story of the _13 Angels_?"

Kaito snorted. "Of course I do." _The 13 Angels_ was a kid's story created centuries ago to explain the existence of Demons and Mages. "After God created humans and Lucifer fell from Grace, 13 angels left Heaven and decided to live among the humans. Twelve of the angels hated humanity and wanted to punish them for taking their Father's favor, so they created creatures from the earthly elements they controlled, creating the first Demons and their 12 types of powers. Some Demons were made to subtly kill in order to strike fear into humans' hearts and others formed to massacre in a mindless hunger.

"But the 13th angel didn't hate humans. He merely wanted to know them, to help them as his Father said. Eventually, he fell in love with one of the humans and had a child with her. This child was the first Mage and learned the art of Magick to protect the humans from the Demons." Kaito scowled. He hated the fairy tale. He hated how it made Demons out to be villains and how it encouraged Mages to be beings of worship. It was disgusting.

"I understand," Akako said in response to his disgust, surprisingly kind. "That story is permeated in Mage society, making many of us feel superior to our human counter parts because of our "divine heritage." But the story is the closest thing we have to truth towards the origins of Demons and Mages."

"There's a second part that very few know," she continued sadly. "It was heavily encoded and generations of Kudos have tried to solve it only for Shinichi's parents to finally succeed."

"What does it say?" Kaito asked curiously.

"Time passed, and the 13th angel had many more children," Akako said. "By then, the other 12 had heard of these angel-humans and were infuriated with their brother's betrayal. They attacked the Mages, but were unable to succeed in destroying them. With the help of their father, the Mages managed to entomb the fallen angels into stones that turned blue with the power of their Grace. But the 13th angel's youngest child was dead, having been killed in all the fighting. The angel, unable to stand the death of one of his children, stole the child's soul from their reaper and put it back in their body."

She cleared her throat and rubbed her face. Akako seemed so awkward trying to explain a children's story, but Kaito thought better than to tease her. He was still tied up after all. "Souls should never be messed with, Kaito. Bad things happen when they're messed with. It's why Humanoid's are the greatest taboo. The child lived, but became worse than the Demons the first 12 angels made. They were cunning and vicious, and cared nothing about humans, Mages, or Demons, proving this when they killed their own mother. The 13th angel saw what he'd created and was horrified. He trapped his child in a cave and guarded it with his own existence, so the child would never hurt anyone else.

"Obviously, this isn't how Humanoids were first created, but it's decent enough summery. A Mage thought they were better than everyone else or wanted to save a loved one and created a Humanoid. Do you have any questions?"

"Is…that why you stole the Mermaid's Tear?" Kaito asked hesitantly. "Because you think it holds one of the evil angels?"

"No." Kaito blinked in surprise. "It's a myth and neither Shinichi nor I take much stock in myths. But just because we don't, doesn't mean that other people feel the same."

"So the Black Organization thinks it's real? How did they find out?"

Akako's eyes shifted and she clenched her jaw. Guilty behavior. "Unimportant."

Kaito looked at her in suspicion, but let it go. "You keep referring to Mages like you are one." He said while testing his restraints again. They didn't budge. Damn. "Were you one before you were turned?"

She glared. "I don't see how that's relevant, or your business."

He smiled mockingly. "Humor me."

Her teeth were bared in a furious snarl and Kaito shuddered in her. Akako smirked, satisfied, before frowning again. "I was…informed that I was once a Mage."

"You don't remember?"

"That's correct."

"And you don't mind?"

Akako shrugged indifferently. "Humanoids are very complicated, KID. Your comprehension of the matter hasn't even scratched the surface."

Kaito groaned in frustration. "Why did you tell me to ask questions when you're not going to answer them!?" he complained.

"Maybe if you shut up for 5 minutes, I would be able to!" she snarled. Kaito yelped and fell down, bruising his back. Akako scoffed. "Idiot… Most Humanoids have what's called a primary personality, including yourself. It's when you have full access to your memories and emotions as a human and are able to utilize them. Those with the secondary personality, like me, are unable to remember anything from their human lives." Kaito's jaw dropped and she sighed. "It usually occurs when one of the portions of the brain involving memory, like the Corpus Callasum or the Cerebrum, is so badly damaged as a human that during the transformation, new brain cells have to be created instead of the original ones being changed. According to Shinichi, I was his sister, Ran. The Black Organization shot me in the eye and Shinichi turned me in order to save my life. But Ran's memories…they're gone. She's gone. I'm not her and I hate that this causes Shinichi to hurt."

Pity welled in Kaito for both Akako and Shinichi. Here he was, assuming that because Akako was a horrible person meant that she didn't have emotions just like him. She was morning for the self she couldn't remember. And Shinichi…he hadn't had time to really think, but if Akako hadn't told him that she was his sister, Kaito would have assumed that she had made a deal similar to his or even worse, that she had been an involuntary test subject. Shinichi had just wanted to save his sister…

The sharp tip of a boat prodded his side. Kaito looked up to see Akako standing tall above him with a malicious glint in her eye, all signs of weakness gone. He shivered. "Humanoids have the ability to shape shift and manipulate shadows, as you've already witnessed as a human. Our types differ per Demon: I'm Speculum, but you could be Lapis or Terraemotus." Kaito nodded; it made sense. Speculum was the ability to control glass, mirrors, and reflections. "Since you're only a few days old Demon-wise, you won't be developing any of these powers for at least another week. So for these first few training sessions we'll be working on your strength and fight skill. Since you are nowhere close to my skill, you're going to be fighting something lower on the Danger Scale."

She strode over to the door and it swung open. "Lucifer, heel!" she called out firmly and Kaito heard nails scampering on wood. He tensed; there was no telling what Demon Akako would have him face…

There were several bangs and this… _thing_ skidded into the room. It looked like a hairless collie with black skin and long spines down its back. Its feet were clawed and scaled, like a dragon's, and had a long, whip-like tail. Its red eyes focused on Akako in reverence and it opened its mouth to reveal 3 long, bloodstained fangs. A pink tongue rolled out the side of its mouth dopily as it cocked its head to the side. "This is Lucifer," Akako said. "He's the Kudo family's pet Chupicabra and you'll be fighting him."

"Chupicabras are Class 4 on the Danger Scale!" Kaito cried out in disbelief. "You can't possibly expect me to fight one!"

Akako waved off his concerns with a smirk. "Humanoids are a Class 6, the highest on the Scale. You'll be fine."

Kaito's eyes widened. She was actually going through with this!? But he was still tied up! "Akako! AKAKO!"

"Sick 'em, boy."

"Shit!"

Akako's laughter was louder than Lucifer's snarls or Kaito's curses.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"What are you doing?" Shinichi asked, his face scrunching up cutely in confusion. Kaito took a moment to admire the Mage before sighing and turning back to the oven.

"Cooking."

"Why?" Shinichi sat down on a bar stool at the breakfast bar next to him. Kaito loved this kitchen. It had beautiful marble counter tops that matched the tile floor and more cooking appliances than Kaito had ever seen before. Now if only human food didn't make him puke.

"I got bored," he replied, taking a sip of blood from his cup. After Kaito's first 'feeding' nearly a week before, he'd taken great pains to never get so hungry again. He refused to just rip into blood bags and drank slowly from a glass, going against the instincts that demanded that he guzzle it like an animal. Akako called it a 'pathetic attempt to retain his dwindling humanity,' so he put bleach in her shampoo. "I'm also hiding from Akako. She probably won't find me because I set a false trail to make her think I escaped outside."

Shinichi peeked at him with his pretty blue eyes and Kaito suppressed a blush. Damn, he's in deep. "I don't want to know."

Kaito swept off his stool and opened the oven door a second before the timer beeped. Hot air bellowed out onto his face and he enjoyed the feeling for a moment before grabbing a pot holder and lifted the burning hot pan of brownies out of the oven. "That's probably wise," Kaito agreed as he placed the pan on the countertop to cool.

Shinichi smiled slightly at the sight of the pastries and Kaito's heart skipped a beat. "I haven't had brownies in years…though I always preferred lemon pie to chocolate. Do you bake often?"

"Yeah," Kaito said as he turned off the oven. "My mom wasn't around a lot after my dad died. She had my custody transferred to Dad's partner and our neighbor, Ginzo Nakamori, but he and his daughter are both Demons and have never cooked human food in their lives. Aoko, my best friend and Ginzo's daughter, suggested that I take a few classes and it turns out that I was pretty good."

He nodded. "This…Aoko, did she know you were KID?"

"No." Kaito clenched the countertop, but the marble cracked under his grip and he jumped back. "She was really hurt when she found out. When I was in my coma, she spent a lot of time at my bedside." Kaito bit his lip. "She'd yell a lot, about how I betrayed her trust, about how much I hurt her, about how bad my actions were. She didn't know that I was trying to avenge my father, to find his killer. But it was worse when she'd cry. I couldn't stand it when she'd cry."

They sat in morose silence until Shinichi spoke up. "I special ordered some silver weapons for you from a friend. He should be finished by now. Would you like to come with me to get them from him? We'd have to disguise you since you can't shape shift yet, but you can ask him to make whatever you'd need for your heist."

Kaito scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Actually, about the whole 'needing a disguise' thing…" He closed his eyes and focused on how he used to look, specifically his teeth and irises. The feeling of tiny needle pricks danced across his eyelids and over his gums. Kaito looked at Shinichi with indigo eyes. "Akako explained the theory of shape shifting the other day. It took me a few tries, but I can look human."

He looked Kaito over and nodded, his cheeks a slight red. "Good. You…you look good."

Kaito instantly picked up on another chance to tease Shinichi and threw an arm over the Mage's shoulders. He pressed his cheek to Shinichi's. "So, who's this friend of yours, Shin-chan?" he purred. "You should really take a girl out more often. I'm starting to feel a little neglected…in more ways than one."

Shinichi's embarrassment was so strong, Kaito could feel most of it second hand from their Blood Bond. His blush was well past his neck. Kaito idly wondered how far down that blush really went. "S-Sorry! It's been hard, trying to figure out where the Black Organization will strike next." Kaito took pity on the poor boy and removed his arm. Shinichi coughed and regained his composure. "This friend has been very close to my family for a long time, so I'd appreciate it if you'd behave. That means no flash bombs."

They walked out into the hallway. "I hate your damn dog. Lucifer deserved it," Kaito grumbled as they stopped outside of a door Kaito had never seen opened. He was surprised when Shinichi pulled out an ancient looking key and unlocked it. "What about the front door? Wait! Does that key create a wormhole in between doorways with magic so we can teleport across the world!?"

The door swung open to reveal stairs. Shinichi gave him a weird look as Kaito's face fell and his shoulder's sagged in disappointment. "Oh. Well, a secret passage is cool too, I guess…"

Shinichi rolled his eyes, snapped, and a flame ignited between his fingers without burning him. He laughed at Kaito's squeal of delight. "You're like a child!"

"Legally, I am one." Kaito tried to touch the fire, but Shinichi batted his hand away. Kaito pouted. "Buzz kill."

He sighed. "Can we go now or are you going to continue to be immature?"

"Why not both?" Kaito shoved his hands in his pockets and gave the perfect innocent look. Shinichi sighed again, but entered the tunnel. That's all it really was, just a long, metal tunnel with stairs. The flickering flame was barely enough to see 10 feet in front of them. "Why do you have a secret passage?"

"My parents were paranoid." Shinichi refused to explain and Kaito picked up on the use of past tense, so they spent the rest of the walk in silence until they reached some stairs leading upwards. "We're here."

They entered a hallway, far more simplistic than anything in Kudo mansion. "Professor Agasa!" Shinichi called out. "Are you home?"

"Hello, Shinichi." A young Kitsune had exited one of the rooms in the hall. She was tiny, with a long, fluffy tail waving slightly behind her. Her ears blended in well with her strawberry-blonde hair.

"Hello, Ai. Where's the Professor?" Shinichi asked.

Ai snorted. "In the lab, as always. Who's your friend?"

Kaito smiled outwardly, but inside he was worried. Humanoids weren't really accepted by the Demon community, or so Akako said anyway. He'd have to make sure his human disguise was impeccable.

He should have chosen an Incubus or something. Then at least he could have asked for some blood to sip.

Crouching down next to the Kitsune, Kaito pulled a coin out from her ear and offered it to her. "Kaito Kuroba, amateur magician, at your service milady."

Ai glared at him and snarled, but took the coin anyway. "Pleasure." Kaito didn't react to her tone. How could someone so small hold that much distain in a single look? She glanced at Shinichi. "I never thought you'd involve a human in your personal crusade."

"No one asked you, Ai," Shinichi said. "Just take us to the Professor."

She smirked and a shiver flew down Kaito's spine. He maneuvered to keep Shinichi between him and the evil child at all times. No child should be able to stare with such unbridled sadistic glee…! Ai led them out of the hall and through a living room to a large steel door locked with a handprint scanner. Neither Shinichi nor Ai acted like this was at all odd as the girl placed her hand on the scanner. The lock clicked open.

The lab was filled with giant furnaces and at the center stood a large man with a grey walrus mustache and one red eye that lit up when he spotted Shinichi. "Ah, Shinichi!" He spoke with an accent that Kaito could only recognize as European. "So you've finally come to pick up your order! I have to admit, I was a little confused as to why you were so insistent on such ideas, but now I think I understand. They are for this young gentleman here, am I right?"

Shinichi smiled and it lit up his face. "Right as always, sir. Professor, this is my friend, Kaito Kuroba. Kaito, this is Professor Agasa, my neighbor and an inventor."

Agasa grabbed Kaito's hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, dear boy. I offer my condolences over your father. Toichi Kuroba was a great man."

"You knew Dad?"

"Quite well. I am often commissioned to make silver bullets for D.E.A.D. and I've gotten to know many officers while working with them. Your father would come in person to pick up his orders and sometimes we'd talk for a while over tea."

Kaito bit his lip and nodded. Fortunately, Shinichi took over the conversation before they could talk more about his dad. "Why don't you show Kaito what you made him, Professor?"

"Yes, of course!" Agasa waddled over to a table and picked up a cardboard box. He emptied it in front of them. "Now, the hardest object to make was the grappling gauntlets." He gave them to Kaito and he slipped one on. The black gauntlet went up to his elbow with a grappling hook poking out right above his knuckles. "There's up to one hundred feet of industrial strength cord in there and the hook is strong enough to embed itself in concrete. Not that I would suggest that, the property damage would be horrendous… Now here we have some smoke bombs, very useful for causing a distraction or trying to escape from your ex-wife." Agasa laughed and threw one at the wall. Grey smoke filled the room.

"Do you have any in other colors?" Kaito coughed and waved the smoke away.

Agasa's face fell. "Well…no. But it would be easy to manufacture. I'll mail it over in a few days."

"If you could mail it in the first place, why didn't you?" Kaito asked.

The Professor laughed sheepishly as Ai spoke. "He's a showoff, that's why." She stalked angrily out of the room.

"Ai's a bit over protective of Agasa," Shinichi explained. "Her time in foster care wasn't the best, so she's extremely thankful to the Professor for taking her in. Don't take it personally; she was very rude to me as well when we were first introduced."

Kaito nodded in comprehension. Agasa took this as his cue to continue. He extracted a cloth package and opened it, revealing 12, deadly-sharp knives that the Professor was careful not to touch. "Now _these_ were a pain to make! Steel throwing knives with a silver coating over them. Very dangerous, so be careful. Shinichi mentioned you had some skill with knives, so I thought these would be better than a gun."

"Thanks, Professor, we appreciate this," Shinichi said as he picked up the knives. Kaito sighed in relief; he had been worried that he would have to touch them. Silver burned Demons with just a touch, making the metal deadly if it gets to one of the major organ systems. He didn't want to explain why a human started smoking from the touch of silver, especially when said human was believed to be kidnapped.

He watched Shinichi and Agasa exchange goodbyes with a frown. Aoko…she had witnessed Akako take him. What had she been doing there? And with Hakuba too? She knew the visiting hours of the hospital better than anyone else, she'd been there so often that week. Maybe…could they have been there to turn off his life support machines?

His breathing hitched and Kaito clenched his jaw. No, he decided. Aoko would never allow that, even if Hakuba tried to do it. Hell, Kaito doubted that even the bastard would have the resolve to kill him like that. On a battlefield, if Kaito had been threatening someone, sure. But weak and defenseless, after saving his girlfriend? No, Hakuba owed him. He wouldn't.

A hand landed on his shoulder and Kaito's heart skipped a beat at Shinichi's concerned face. "Kaito? I've been calling your name, are you okay?"

Throwing up a smile, Kaito laughed sheepishly. "I was lost in thought there, Shin-chan. Thanks for finding me!" He grabbed his box of goodies that Shinichi had collected and wrapped an arm around him, pulling the Mage close.

Shinichi sputtered and tried to break free. He failed. "Why do you keep doing this!?" He yelled, a fresh new flush coloring his face.

"And let a hottie like you wander free? That'd be criminal!" Kaito laughed boisterously, pushing his problems to the side in favor of embarrassing Shinichi with his flirting. There was no use worrying about it when he could be doing something far more amusing.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Akako smashed Kaito into the floor, the concrete ominously cracking under the padded mat in the gym. Kaito winced and rolled out from under her stomping foot.

He jumped to his feet.

Akako grinned, her fangs gnashing as she lashed out with her claws.

Kaito dodged under them, just barely in time.

Infuriated, he aimed a kick towards her face. His foot brushed her hair, but did no damage.

Instead of trying to sweep his legs out from under him like he expected, Akako tackled him around the middle. They landed in a tangle of limbs and curse words that ended when Kaito was pinned under Akako. Despite his best efforts, Kaito could not break free. The elder Humanoid smirked above him, satisfaction radiating out of her in thick, smug waves. Kaito snarled and tried to kick her away, but failed. Akako held him there for a moment, relishing in her superiority, before releasing him. "Usually you fight better than this, KID. What happened?"

Kaito rolled onto his stomach, ignoring the pain, and pushed up onto his feet. "I woke up feeling...weird this morning. It's like everything suddenly feels lighter now. I keep expecting moving to take more effort to do, and when they don't I feel off balance."

Akako nodded in understanding. "This is good. It means that you're almost finished fully transforming into a Demon."

"How?"

"You're bones have become hollow, like a bird's. Usually this would make them fragile, but a few days before, your skin thickened. Your muscles are now bigger, harder, and more elastic in order to protect them. I'm surprised you didn't ask about it sooner. It's not exactly an easy process; most people would have complained about the pain when it first started."

"I got used to waking up in pain, first from heists and now because of your hellish training. It still sucks, by the way."

"If it hurts that means it's working," Akako said. She chuckled and Kaito scrambled away. Akako and laughter usually meant very bad things for poor, innocent Kaito.

Before escaping the gym, the door opened and Shinichi limped inside. Kaito clung to his legs. "Shinichi!" he wailed. "Satan wants to kill me again!"

He raised an eyebrow in his usual suave manner and Kaito nearly swooned, his poker face being the only thing that saved his ego. "I've learned to stay out of your arguments, Kaito, for my own safety. I only came in here to tell you both that I am going to be at the D.E.A.D. headquarters for a couple of hours. No more than two at best."

Kaito bounced up and bit his lip. "Why do you need to go?"

"I'm often requested to take a look at cold cases that D.E.A.D. doesn't have the time or resources to work on. I need to drop off a few finished ones and grab some more. If I don't, they'll eventually send someone by to come get them and check on me, which is one of the last things we'd want to happen short of all of us being killed."

"Do you want me to come? You could always use backup—"

"Shinichi doesn't need backup, KID," Akako said. "He's a fully grown extremely powerful Abjuration Mage. He does not need a baby Demon who doesn't even know his Type yet following him around like a chick with its mother."

"I'm sorry, witch, but no one was talking to you. It's Shinichi's decision for me to help him, not yours."

"And how are you supposed to help him, pray tell? By impersonating a detective? Please, you'd be caught in seconds and then you'd both be killed!"

"Maybe if you'd actually bothered to teach me anything more than fighting and moving shadows around with my mind, I would actually be able to do something—"

"Enough," Shinichi didn't bother raising his voice, but he stopped the argument none the less. "You two argue more than anyone I know, including my parents!" He turned to Akako. "I thought we agreed that he needed to learn how to use his Type first of all. Umbrakinesis was supposed to be focused on last."

She shrugged. "He's good at it, almost as good as he is at shape shifting. Plus, he sucks at fighting. I've been focusing on helping him live through a confrontation with another Humanoid rather than figuring out if he can frost the windows or make plants grow. I'm terribly sorry if that upsets you." She didn't sound sorry. "Besides, neither one of us has seen any indication of what Type he could be! That almost always means that it's not going to be something powerful."

"Can you two stop talking about me like I'm not here—"

Shinichi sighed. "The fact remains that you've been neglecting an important part of Kaito's training. I'm disappointed."

Akako huffed angrily, her shoulders slumping and she looked down and away. "Fine, we'll focus on that tomorrow."

He nodded. "Good... So, how good is he at Umbrakinesis anyway?"

"Very. He's already mastered blending into shadow and minor teleportation with it. Soon he should be able to manipulate it like a Siren manipulates water. That is, of course, if we can get him to focus." She said with a glare. "I've never known someone so childish!"

"Don't underestimate him, Akako. He became an internationally wanted thief in a couple of weeks after all." Shinichi looked at Kaito with appraising eyes. "Kaito. Have you written a heist note yet?"

Kaito smirked. "Yeah, it's in my room. I decided on the Golden Jubilee Diamond. It's currently being displayed in the Met, on loan from Thailand."

"...You don't do things halfway, do you?"

"Go big or go home; it's a rule at a Kaitou KID heist. Besides, you resigned yourself to my flamboyancy when you allowed me to plan it without any criticism from you!"

"I appear to be missing something," Akako said. "What is the Golden Jubilee and why do you make it sound so important?"

"Oh, it's not that important—"

Shinichi cut him off. "The Golden Jubilee is the biggest diamond in the world and a part of Thailand's crown jewels."

"Well, when you say it like that, you make it sound like I'm doing something bad!"

The Mage groaned in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It is a bad thing. Everything we're doing can be described as bad. However, it's hardly the most immoral thing to ever be done. If we were to have a contest of who the most immoral person in this room was, I would most certainly be the winner."

Kaito looked at Akako. "Is he saying that because he made us, or because we corrupted him?"

"Both are equally likely."

"You two are hilarious." Shinichi deadpanned. "Back on topic, we need to announce the heist. Could you place the notice in an area where they could find it quickly?"

"We...want the agents we're running from to be prepared?"

"No. We want Snake and his men to be prepared. I've already figured out that their organization has a mole in D.E.A.D. We need them present at the heist or it will all be for nothing."

"We're risking a lot just on the off chance that you're right, Shinichi."

"This entire operation is a risk," he said with a sigh. "We could all die at any day at any time. But right now…I have to be the best so we can pull this off. The note is not the only reason why I need you to sneak into the headquarters though. A few days ago, I had Akako scope out your apartment."

"Your mom is staying there, along with your Banshee friend," Akako picked up without missing a moment. "Neither one are dealing with your disappearance very well, but they're helping each other through it. However, I didn't really stop to chat; I had much bigger things to worry about. Like the fact that your room was completely bare."

"What?"

"From what I could tell, D.E.A.D. officers had been there and packed up everything for evidence. Not a single thing was left, not even the bed."

"So it's safe to assume that they have all my extra suits and equipment locked away in some evidence room deep inside HQ." Kaito reasoned.

"Yeah," Shinichi said. "On the bright side, most of your things were non-magickal from what you told me, so their evidence room will be the less guarded one. However, any talismans that you wore are not and will have to be replaced."

Kaito sucked his teeth at the thought of collecting all those talismans again, but said nothing. None of them were particularly difficult to acquire. Talismans were probably the hardest version of magick someone could master, as they involved infusing ordinary items with the Enchanter's own magickal signature to enhance its natural properties. Not everyone could do it; in fact, most Mages would even consider it demeaning to focus on creating magickal items that everyone could use. Kaito respected the amount of skill it took for someone to enchant a talisman. If he had been born a Mage, it would have been the area he focused in. He could still remember his father making ones to protect him and his mother, but all the magick in those ran dry by the time he was 12.

Most people didn't have the same view as him though, and the art of Enchantment had fallen so far that they were sold to tourists on street corners for a pitiful sum of money.

"So!" Kaito said suddenly, clapping his hands once. "When are we leaving?"

"As soon as you're ready," Shinichi said. "I'll be waiting in the garage."

"We have a garage?" He asked Akako as Shinichi left. She scoffed, rolled her eyes, and followed her brother out the door. Kaito glared after her. "Fine then! Dumb witch..." He rushed out of the gym and through the opulent halls to his bedroom, the same one he woke up in.

Kaito changed out of his athletic clothes and into something more stealthy...and dark. As annoyed as he was when he first encountered all the black and navy clothes Akako forced him to wear, they were pretty useful when he used shadows to make his body invisible. They made it easier somehow.

Umbrakinesis. That was how both Akako and Shinichi described this inherent ability to manipulate shadows. Privately, Kaito called it shadow bending. Shadow bending was apparently something every Humanoid could do, their born Type that was unaffected by personality or memories. And yet oddly enough, all Humanoids also had a secondary Type as well, one of the twelve that the public knew about. Kaito would have something too. Just like Akako was Speculum, he would be able to control one of them. Could he be a Lympha, controlling water and being able to heal people? Or perhaps a powerful Fulgur, able to summon lightning at will? It didn't really matter to him. But the possibilities...they were endless.

Once he was finished dressing, Kaito opened his dresser drawer and grabbed a small card made of thick, sturdy parchment. Perfect cursive swirled across the stationary to create an elegant, if ominous, heist notice. It said:

 _ **On the final esbat of the year, as the witching hour strikes, I shall return to claim the Golden Jubilee as my own.**_

 **Kaitou KID O.^**

He secured the note in his breast pocket and went off to find the mysterious garage. After discovering numerous bedrooms, linen closets, and a medieval torture room, Kaito saw Akako waiting outside the kitchen. "What do you want now?" he complained.

"The garage is this way." She pointed at one of the identical doors lining the hall.

"...I hope your next blood packet gives you AIDS."

"Again with the quips? Adorable as always, KID." She mocked. "I'm going out. Do you need me to get you anything? Taser, a specific blood type, perhaps a new sense of humor?"

"You mentioned talismans earlier. Could you pick me up a few from a street vendor?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Those things are hardly reliable. It's not like they kept you from getting shot after all."

"True, but they kept me alive after getting shot and falling down two floors onto a pile of glass. I'm pretty sure that they work."

Akako relented in her argument with a small tilt of her head. "Your reasoning is understandable. Is there anything in particular you'd like me to get?"

"Turquoise is a definite one—it's a powerful, all-purpose healer. I know you said that it's hard for anything but silver to hurt me now that I'm a Humanoid, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Lapis lazul's good for increasing magickal power, which will be good with my shadows and when I finally discover my Type. The same with Orgonite; that's a man-made mixture of a bunch of different minerals and metals. Not sure what exactly, but it's usually created to be a part of runic pendants—I prefer Norse runes whenever possible, but I can deal with Egyptian hieroglyphics if necessary."

"You...really know quite a bit about talismans, don't you?"

"Yeah, my dad taught me. He was the greatest Enchanter and Illusionist in the country."

"That's a very remarkable title."

Kaito smirked. "Have I finally found something that impresses you? My life goal is now complete! I can die at peace!" He opened the garage door, but stopped. He'd almost forgotten something! "Also, see if you can find a Troll Cross. It looks like an upside down teardrop with two swirls coming out of the point. Most Enchanters create them in silver, which won't work for obvious reasons, but I think I remember a guy selling them engraved into iron disks for the local Demons. He has red hair, bushy mustache, squints a lot. I'm not sure where I met him though, but it can't be too far from where I lived." He really wanted a Troll Cross again. They were strong protection charms after all, and the more protection he had the better.

"I can find him." They stepped down into the subterranean garage where a white car was waiting for him. "Even if the search is fruitless, it will still be somewhat educational. Who knows? I might even find a cure for your chronic stupidity."

He scowled. Honestly, what was her problem? One minute she seemed to be doing something nice for a change, the next moment she was trying to rip you to shreds. "Maybe you'll find a cure for your chronic bitchiness."

The insult fell on deaf ears, unlike her usual reaction to being called a witch. She swayed back inside the house. Kaito shrugged. He didn't care either way, or at least that's what he told himself. Opening up the passenger side door, Kaito slid into the back leather seat with Shinichi behind the wheel. He revved the engine and they shot out of the mansion into the bright world beyond.

 **A/N: What!? This isn't a long chapter like promised!**

 **Yeah, sorry about that. This was going to be a really long chapter, but…I couldn't. Ya'll have been waiting for so long for me to get my act together, so you deserve it. Three things I need to talk about though:**

 **The 24** **th** **is officially my update day. I'm not always going to update every story on this day, but I can probably get a chapter done per month if I don't always have to worry about the people who want more right after I update. The only exception is if (like this) I haven't given a new chapter in a while.**

 **I started to go into more magickal terminology in this chapter. I'm happy to explain any terms you don't understand, but they'll probably be explained in later chapters.**

 **My poll for Kaito's Type is still on going. The current leader is Ventus, probably because all of you are remembering the heist were KID walks on air. Second highest is Fumos.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"So, what's the game plan?" Kaito asked as he gazed out the tinted windows. The city crawled past them as Shinichi navigated the streets with the grace of a fish on a pier.

"We go in, you attached to my shadow, and I'll get the officer guarding the evidence room to leave his post. You sneak in, grab your things, and leave the heist note. Catch a ride with me when you're done."

"How will you know that I'm on your shadow? You could leave while I'm still working."

"I can feel it through our Blood Bond, but it only works when it's my shadow. If you hear someone coming, shape shift and pretend you're lost."

"Oh?" One quick prickle across his face and body later and Kaito transformed into a busty blonde woman. He laid his head on Shinichi's shoulder, pouting up at the Mage. "Is this better, sweetie?" he asked, mimicking Akako's low, seductive tones.

Shinichi jerked the car, almost crashing into the Buick beside them. The loud car horn and explosion of explicit language shook Shinichi from his shock and he corrected their course. "Don't ever do that again," he scolded. "That was _horrifying._ "

Kaito laughed and shifted back into his human form. "Oh, come on. It was a little bit funny," he said in his own voice.

"Phony horror movies are funny. They comedy channel is funny—"

"No it's not—"

"You, trying to seduce me in my sister's voice? No funny, on so many different levels."

He raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on the little tidbit Shinichi let slip. Instead, Kaito wanted to know something far more important. "Would you prefer that I try to seduce you as myself?"  
Shinichi blushed. "That's not appropriate… Oh, look! We're here," he said in obvious relief.

"You really suck at changing the subject. You know that, right?"

He pretended not to hear Kaito as he parked in front of a low, concrete building with "D.E.A.D." in huge letters across the front. Kaito winced. How…plain. "Looks like you'll have to shadow-meld now. Pity you can't talk while doing it."

Kaito glared. "You really are bad at subtlety, Shin-Shin."

"I wasn't trying to be. Hurry up and shadow-meld before someone starts wondering why I'm just sitting here without getting out."

"Fine, fine." Kaito closed his eyes and focused on the shadow caused by the car's roof. He could feel it, like an almost unnoticeable tug on his consciousness, easily ignorable. He followed the tug and, slowly but surely, felt his body dissolve into the darkness.

The feeling was disorienting. Kaito couldn't see anything—everything was black—but he could still sense what was happening around him. His body only felt cold with no other sensation, like he was submerged in sub-zero water. "You really _are_ good at this," Shinichi muttered and Kaito felt one of the shadows moving away—Shinichi getting out of the car. Kaito followed, hitching a ride on his shadow.

It was hard, staying in one little blurb of shadow when the overcast sky allowed everything to be cast in a shade. However, he kept up with Shinichi, not moving necessarily, but more like he was hooked onto Shinichi's shadow, bobbing along behind him.

Kaito sensed when they left the freezing outside in favor of D.E.A.D.'s Headquarters. He could hear Shinichi's cane clicking away—wooden floor then, or possibly some kind of stone—along with various snippets of conversations.

"Hey, did you hear how Nakamori was—"

"Lupin's gang is still at large—"

"So, do you, like…wanna go out drinking with me this Saturday?"

A door opened and closed, cutting off the conversations as Shinichi continued into a silent, empty area. Shinichi's steps faltered momentarily, but picked up again at a slower pace. "Oh, hello," he said. "You must be the new guard on duty. I was expecting Maguire."

"Maguire retired last week. I'm his _temporary_ replacement." If Kaito currently had eyes, they would have widened at the familiar voice. "I'm Sugaru Hakuba. And you are?"

"I'm Shinichi Kudo," Shinichi said, ether ignoring or unaware of Kaito's growing panic. Nonononononono! If anyone could ruin their plans, it would be this bastard. "I've heard of you. People say you and your partner are some of the best."

"Do they?" Hakuba sounded only slightly interested. "I doubt they say that anymore. Is there anything I can help you with, Kudo?"

"I need to see evidence room 14, case drawer 12, the murder of David Shields." Shinichi took a few steps forward, close enough for his shadow to touch another—a desk. Kaito slid into the desk's shadow, assuming that was what Shinichi wanted him to do. He was still panicking—damn it; this was Hakuba, who somehow knew he was KID without proof! Of course he'd panic!—but he kept it under control. Shinichi wouldn't leave him to deal with Haku-bastard by himself. Right? "I assume the extension enchantment is still in place? If so, this case should be in the back, as it is a fairly old one."

"I'm aware," Hakuba said coldly. "And I assume you remember that I have to go with you and lock the door behind me to make sure that you don't damage or steal anything."

Why in the world would Hakuba think Shinichi would break something? Shinichi seemed to have expected the question though and responded with a smug, "I remember. Shall we go?"

A door opened and Shinichi and Hakuba's steps began to fade away. As the door clicked closed, Kaito shot across the floor and under the crack of it. He hid in a corner in what Kaito thought was a hall until sounds of both footsteps faded completely.

Kaito oozed out of the shadows, solid and able to see once again. He was in fact in a hallway like he'd thought, lined with identical doors that had bronze labels on them. Damn it! How was he supposed to know which one held his suit!?

Wait…hadn't Shinichi said that his old case was in the back? If the old was in the back… On a whim, he read one of the markers near the exit. It read "Room 48" with the current year engraved below it. Bingo.

He was surprised to find the door unlocked, but Shinichi did mention that the nonmagickal evidence room was less guarded. Inside was a variety of steel drawers, some smaller than a lunch box and others like garage doors. Each drawer had a card on it, displaying a number.

Kaito growled in frustration. How was he supposed to know which one was his!? Reluctantly slipping a hand into his knapsack, he pulled out a lock pick. Well, they had taken his entire room, so it had to be one of the big ones.

Several garage doors later, Kaito caught sight of a familiar white suit. He smirked. He began tossing in whatever looked useful—the suit, hang glider, monocle, collapsible top hat, several fireworks, and even the gun he'd had that unfaithful night. Kaito didn't even know how it all fit until he noticed how whenever he put something new in, the rest would shift farther down. An expansion enchantment.

Finally he was finished. Swinging the bag over his shoulder, Kaito left the room exactly as he found it only to encounter a problem while leaving. He couldn't. The knob of the door he entered through wouldn't budge. Kaito frowned. He hadn't heard Hakuba lock it even though the bastard said he would. Of course, this wasn't a real problem; he could just go under the door again. Still, what a bother…wait, were those runes?

He looked closer. Yes, they were, Norse by the look of them. One for locking and surveillance. Shit! Did Hakuba already know he was here? Norse surveillance runes were shit that would only tell the carver if someone touched them, but…

No, wait. Hakuba worked with Fire Evocation, not Enchantment. Everyone knew that a Mage who focused on one type of magick was weak in others. Plus, these looked old, far older than Hakuba could have been on desk duty, even if he'd been here for the last month. So, they most likely belonged to the retired guy. He'd probably given Hakuba a charm to bypass the locking rune.

Kaito smirked. D.E.A.D. always underestimated normals, even when it was just their shit. Of course they'd have shitty runes protecting them.

Paranoia forgotten, Kaito shadow-melded under the door to see Hakuba's untidy desk. He frowned again. That was odd behavior for the anal-retentive detective. In fact, this entire thing was odd. Why the hell was Hakuba on desk duty in the first place!? He unfortunately was a competent detective. And what was with all the Styrofoam cups!? From what Kaito remembered, Hakuba preferred tea, not—Kaito sniffed the contents of one of the cups—generic instant coffee.

While returning the cup to its place, Kaito noticed a small framed photo and picked it up. He was expecting a picture of Hakuba's parents, maybe one of Hakuba and Aoko in high school. He wasn't expecting a picture of him.

Well, not just him. Hakuba and Aoko were there too. They were about 6, on what appeared to be a playground. They were hugging and smiling. Hakuba actually looked happy and Kaito wasn't trying to get away from the Mage.

He…remembered this. Not this exact moment, but being friends with Hakuba. They had met in preschool, all because of Aoko. She was being bullied by some bratty kids and Kaito chased them off while Sugaru comforted her. They'd all been good friends, until… Kaito smiled bitterly.

Well. Hakuba's magick revealed itself when they were 9 and Kaito was a spiteful little brat.

With slight hesitance, Kaito stole the picture and replaced it with his heist notice. Well, that was obvious as shit. And it would be suspicious if the notice appeared while Hakuba was being distracted by Shinichi. So, with lack of any other idea, he shoved the picture frame—still containing the heist note—into a pile of files. There, hidden. Once Hakuba notices the missing picture, he'll have to look for it and then—

The file on the top of the pile fell to the ground with a faint splat. Sighing, Kaito bent to retrieve it. Honestly, he should be a shadow again, before anyone shows—was that his case file?

He looked closer. The label definitely said "Kaitou KID." Should he look? His fingers idly thumbed it. He could never get another chance like this. D.E.A.D. could have information on the Black Organization, stuff not even Shinichi had. He nodded determinedly. His decision was made.

Flipping the file open, the first thing he saw was a picture of his alter ego, posed majestically on the edge of a roof. Kaito preened a bit to himself. It was a very sexy picture. The next one—his body, in a coma, covered in bruises and cuts—wiped the smugness off his face.

He flicked through the papers inside. There were a few more pictures of him as both KID and Kuroba, photocopies of Hattori's case reports, and hand written reports of _that night_ , courtesy of Aoko and Hakuba. Kaito tsked. There was nothing he didn't already know, except for the fact that D.E.A.D. had _finally_ opened an investigation into his shooting due to Hakuba's constant prodding. He supposed he had to thank the bastard for that.

Kaito finally found a small slip of paper nestled in the back of the file. His eyes widened as he read it. This…this was impossible. It had to be. There was no way this could be real, Shinichi and Akako had _told_ him so—

The day Akako appeared in his hospital room, Hakuba had requested that Mage healers be sent to fix him!?

And Nakamori had granted it!?

Kaito put his file away, his movements robotic with shock. He slid into the desk's shadow and allowed the darkness to numb him. No. no, Shinichi wouldn't lie to him like that, he wouldn't make Akako tell him that he wouldn't be saved on _the very day that they were going to heal him_ , right?

Right?

Shinichi and Hakuba returned shortly and Kaito clung to Shinichi's shadow like a child to their mother's skirt. He ignored the two's goodbyes and the feeling of Shinichi's concern through their Blood Bond.

What if…what if Shinichi did do that? His entire being tried to reject the idea. After all, Shinichi was always so kind to him. He had never forced Kaito to do something through their Bond like Mages did with non-sentient Demons. Why would Shinichi do such a thing?

Shinichi had walked them out of the building and they were now safe in the car, so Kaito pulled away from him. Despite the Mage's attempts to talk to him, Kaito only offered one word responses. Finally, Shinichi's patience snapped. "What's wrong? Tell me what happened!"

He angrily bit the inside of this mouth. "I'll tell you when we get back," he ground out.

Shinichi accepted his answer. "Alright."

How much did he even know about Shinichi anyway? All he knew was the man's relationship to Akako and his need for vengeance against the Black Organization, but was that really enough. How could Kaito trust him?

His decision was made. After Shinichi pulled into the mansion's garage, Kaito left the car and waited until Shinichi was in the house to follow. The door slammed behind him. "Shinichi. We need to talk. Now."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Shinichi looked at Kaito with his eyes wide. "Yes? What is it? Did something happen when you were in the building?"

"You could say that," Kaito said, a growl low in his throat and his poker face abandoned for something far more menacing. He paced around Shinichi, circling him like a buzzard about to descend on a carcass. His nostrils flared. Could Shinichi really be guilty? He had to be. Coincidences like this just don't _happen_. "I found something rather interesting, _Kudo_. Would you like to know what?" Shinichi said nothing. He just crossed his arms. "It was a little piece of paper in a case file. My case file."

He blinked in shock. Kaito continued. "I was so shocked by what I read. After all, it isn't every day that you learn that Mage Healers were supposed to fix you up during your coma." A mix of fear and guilt shaped Shinichi's expression as realization dawned on him. Most of Kaito felt a sick pleasure at this; the rest of him just felt sick. He tapped his chin in mock thought. "Funny that Akako said the Mages wouldn't heal me, especially since they were going to do so on the _**DAY YOU SENT HER TO ME!"**_ he roared and Shinichi flinched.

Confusion and fear tugged at their Bond and Kaito pushed all his anger and hurt back at Shinichi. "Kaito…" Shinichi said, his hands up and palms forward. Kaito hissed. "I assure you, I had no idea—"

" _ **Bullshit**_!"

Kaito lunged for the liar, his hands outstretched and aimed for his throat. He collided into a blue barrier. A magick shield had sprouted from Shinichi's palms, protecting him from Kaito. The Demon roared inhumanly. _Liar_! He pounded at the shield in an attempt to shatter it. He'd pay! He'd pay for lying to him!  
His efforts were for not because the barrier wouldn't break. Damn it! He snarled. Frustrated, Kaito flung his arm out.

And the air reacted. It swirled around him, reacting to his will, and bombarded Shinichi's shield. It shattered, much to Kaito's joy. He drew back a fist, wind swirling around it, and punched.

A ball of torrential wind shot at Shinichi. He dodged, but couldn't get up, leaving Kaito free to go for the Mage's throat.

He was slung back by some unseen force—magick, it was always magick—and pinned to the wall. Kaito struggled to break free, but his invisible bonds were stronger than he was and no amount of wind was going to surprise Shinichi again. Kaito was forced to watch as Shinichi slowly stood up, leaning heavily on his cane and in visible pain. A small tinge of regret echoed in his chest, but the flames of his rage ate it quickly.

Shinichi looked at him and for once Kaito couldn't read the expression there. "Kaito…please listen to me. I didn't know. I swear I didn't know—"

"Liar!" Kaito's scream radiated throughout the house. Something wet—tears, those were tears, he didn't know he could still cry—dripped down his face. "How could you!? How could you just do this to me like it's nothing!? You turned me into a _monster_!" Kaito's voice broke as he admitted the truth for the first time. "I'm a monster… I could have protected my family as a human! I could have seen them again without them being horrified! But _**no**_! You wanted another Demon as your _slave_!"

Shinichi flinched back, his body trembling. He bit his lip and looked away with a little shake of his head. "Kaito…magick can do a lot of things, but it couldn't have saved you. I knew that from the moment I saw the doctor's report."

Kaito sneered. "What are you going on about?"

"Healing magick has gone a long way in the past few years, but it can't perform miracles. There are still things it can't do: bring back the dead, regrow limbs, and fix brain and nerve damage." Kaito's eyes widened as a cold, horrifying realization emerged in him. "And you… your spine was nicked by a bullet and you had enough brain trauma to make you have an out of body experience. The only reason you're walking and talking now is because the Humanoid ritual transformed both your nerves and brain into an uninjured, Demonic form while you were unconscious."

Tears fell more rapidly now. Kaito's chest heaved as he desperately tried to get more air in between sobs. He messed up.

Oh, God, he messed up so bad.

He hurt Shinichi over _nothing_. Kaito was so horrified with himself that he didn't even notice when Shinichi's magick released him and he slid to the floor. What had he _done!?_ God, he _was_ a monster! He should be _killed_ —

He stilled when Shinichi wrapped his arms around him.

More tears slipped out as Shinichi guided Kaito's face into the crook of his neck. How could he touch Kaito? He was disgusting, he wasn't worth a single moment of Shinichi's time after what he did! Kaito wrapped his tremble arms around Shinichi's solid form. "I'm sorry, Kaito," Shinichi whispered, much to Kaito's shock. "I'm sorry I took your life away from you. I never wanted that."

"I know," Kaito whispered back. "It's not your fault. I chose to become this. You didn't know." Relief and gratitude flooded their Bond, but it did nothing to alleviate his pain.

Shinichi nodded. "Still, it doesn't change the fact that I'm the reason why you can't let your family see you again… I promise I won't bring them into this. I'll make sure your mom and Aoko don't get hurt."

Kaito had promised to protect them too, it was the only reason he had let Akako kidnap him, but it didn't change the fact that it was hurting them. "Thank you, Shinichi… And…I'm sorry too. I didn't mean what I said. You're…amazing and I don't deserve to be your friend." He gave Shinichi one final squeeze and let go.

He hurt Shinichi, emotionally and probably physically. Kaito felt disgust at his actions. What he did was…unforgivable. He had no chance with Shinichi after his disgraceful behavior. Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if he _hated_ Kaito now. The thought made Kaito sick to his stomach. No, he had to stay friends with him. _Just_ friends.

After standing up, Kaito helped Shinichi to his feet and grabbed his forgotten bag. The Mage looked concerned. "Will you be alright?"

A bitter smile twisted his lips. "Yeah." Eventually. Maybe. No. "You should go keep an eye on the news; the story of KID's return heist should break soon."

"What will you do?"

"I…I think I'll take a nap. I'm pretty tired after using my powers all day." Shinichi nodded and left, only giving him one last worried glance over his shoulder as he went. Kaito appreciated his respect of Kaito's privacy.

When he managed to stumble to his room, Kaito encountered an annoying problem. Lucifer was sprawled out on his bed, staring up at him with the smuggest expression his deformed face could make. Kaito's eyes narrowed. "Ass."

Giving absolutely no shits, Kaito collapsed onto the bed, avoiding and ignoring the smallish Chupacabra. He was too tired for this. A few more tears leaked out and onto the bedspread.

A moment later, a rough, wet tongue dragged over his face. Kaito looked up from where he was trying to smother himself to see Lucifer crouched over him. The Chupacabra whined pathetically.

Cautiously, Kaito reached up and scratched Lucifer's ears, causing his stubby tail to wag and his tongue to roll dopily out of his mouth. Kaito's lips twitched up.

Lucifer eventually lied down next to Kaito, curled up near his chest. His body was like a small furnace, heating Kaito up well beyond normal body temperature. Kaito sighed. Well…it wouldn't be too bad to just hug him, right? Just for a few minutes?

So Kaito cuddled with Lucifer and, in few minutes, both were fast asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Kaito awoke to the sound of snickering and a camera click.

He turned his head and glared at Akako, who was smirking and holding a Polaroid camera. "How adorable," she said condescendingly. "You two are finally getting along."

Kaito extracted an arm from around Lucifer and flipped her off. "What do you want?" he snapped, his voice rough with sleep. His eyes stung. They were no doubt red from crying.

She raised one thin eyebrow. "You look like shit."

"And you're a bitch. What do you want?"

Akako sighed dramatically, placing a hand to her chest in a half-hearted swoon. Kaito rolled his eyes. "Oh, why are you so mean to me, KID?" she asked in a false-falsetto. "My heart can barely take it! Oh well, I suppose you don't need these talismans I brought you…" She held out a paper bag tauntingly.

Kaito rolled off the bed and ripped the bag from her outstretched hand. He reached into it. The first talisman he pulled out was a troll cross, engraved in an iron disk about the size of his fist with a little loop at the top. "Well, at least you got this," he said. "In all honesty, I thought you'd be unable to buy it."

"Why, because we're considered to be the most dangerous Demons in creation?"

"No, because you're literally the second most evil person I know." Kaito ignored her amused snort in favor of extracting his next talisman. "Are these…earrings?" The orange cat's eyes shined brightly in the lamplight.

"Yes. We'll have to pierce your ears, but cat's eye is supposed to be very good at promoting success."

"My ears are already—" He felt his earlobe. No hole. "Shit! How'd I miss that?"

Akako chuckled at his misfortune. "They healed. And even worse, we'll have to pierce them with a silver needle for it to stay."

"You see, it's things like this that makes everyone think you're evil," Kaito complained as he found the final talisman. He stared in confusion. "…Well, this is horrifying."

It was a crystal skull the size of a Ping-Pong ball. It stared creepily up at Kaito with its bloodstone eyes. "Oh, _that_ ," Akako said disdainfully. "I got it off a Necromancer."

"…That sounds illegal."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't care. At all."

"Please tell me that you at least paid for these."

"You can pretend I did if it makes you feel better," she said, patting his shoulder mockingly. "Anyway, Necromancy isn't technically illegal. Raising zombies: that's illegal. The exact meaning of Necromancy is "conferring with the dead to tell the future." All that skull allows you to do is to see ghosts."

Kaito placed it on the dresser and cautiously pushed it away from him. "Okay…" It looked like it was glaring at him, so he turned it around.

"So…" Akako perched on his bed and narrowly missed sitting on Lucifer. "Shinichi told me that you've developed your Type. Ventus, right?"

Eyeing her carefully, he nodded. "Yes. Did Shinichi tell you anything else?"

She cocked her head. "No. Did something happen?"

"Nothing important," he lied quickly, barely hiding his relief. Thank God. At least she wouldn't kill him for hurting Shinichi. Yet. She'd find out.

She always finds out.

Akako stared at him with undisguised suspicion, then shrugged. "To be honest, I thought you'd be an Ignis, or even Attectus considering how much control you have over your emotions."

He huffed out a bitter laugh. "Not really. I'm an open book compared to my father. He tried to teach me his infamous poker face, but I…I could never get it right."

"You shouldn't sell yourself short," she said, surprisingly kind.

"Who are you and what have you done with Akako?"

A small, cryptic smile flickered on her lips and disappeared in an instant. "Anyway, have you figured out how to control it? I've heard that wind is supposedly the hardest element to master."

"I haven't tried yet," Kaito confessed. He looked at his hand and tried to remember how it felt to weld his power. He reached into his consciousness, trying to feel the air around him like he could feel the shadows, but nothing was there.

Maybe it was in the hand movements? Kaito flung out his hand like he had when he was angry at Shinichi, but still nothing happed. His shoulders sagged. "Damn it…"

"You're treating the air like it's a part of you," Akako said, waking up Lucifer with a quick shake. "Our shape shifting and Umbrakinesis are a part of you because those are what make us Humanoids. But the air, your Ventus, isn't. You need to force it to your will instead of expecting it to react."

"You're being surprisingly helpful today. Did someone spike your morning blood pack?"

She gave him a withering look. "I do actually want this heist to go according to plan, KID. If that means helping you figure out the obvious, then so be it." She hopped off the bed, Lucifer following closely behind her. "Shinichi's summoning me, so if there's anything else…?"

Akako was at the door when Kaito asked a question that had been bothering him for a while. "Akako…what's going to happen to us when we've defeated the Black Organization?"

"Before he saved you…I was convinced he would kill me, then turn himself in to the police." Kaito couldn't breathe. _What_? "But…he wouldn't do it now. I doubt he could bear to hurt you like that."

"Really?"

"You have no idea, do you?" she said quietly. "You have no idea how guiltily he feels about turning us, despite the fact it saved both our lives. He cares about us. Goodbye KID." She turned and left, leaving Kaito with more questions and no answers.

He groaned and threw his body back onto the bed. He rubbed his face. Well, at least Shinichi won't kill him. He sighed. No use thinking now.

Getting up, Kaito grabbed his bag and began emptying it. Finally, he pulled out the white KID suit. His fingers rubbed it in contemplation.

It would look better in black.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

He exhaled slowly, calling the wind to his aid. Focusing intently, Kaito placed a foot on the wall and pushed down. He controlled the air around his body, forcing it to support him and push him upwards. Kaito walked up the side of the wall with an eerie elegance, one foot after another.

A smile quickly flickered across his face, but was immediately replaced by intense concentration. It had taken him days to do this, but now he could finally get the wind to support his weight. Soon, he'd be able to master walking on the ceiling, and then…

Suddenly, a voice spoke up behind him. "It doesn't look natural."

Startled, Kaito lost his concentration and fell to Akako's feet. He glared up at her. "What do you mean, "it doesn't look natural!?" It's perfect!"

She huffed and crossed her arms. He noticed that her eyes were blue for once. Odd, he thought that she disliked shapeshifting most of the time. "I mean you look like you're just floating up while moving your feet. If your legs weren't moving, then you'd just be hovering to the ceiling. Real walking involves leaning forward and little bobs with each step." Akako eyed him critically. "Put on something more human. We have a guest."

Kaito easily shapeshifted into his human disguise, having forgotten it completely while he'd been training his Type. "Who?" he asked, jumping to his feet.

"Heiji Hattori."

Akako watched, amused, as Kaito forgot how to breath. Once he'd regained his breath, Kaito barked out. " _ **Hattori!?**_ Are you insane?"

"Has it really taken you so long to notice? Relax, you'll be fine. He's human; it's not like he knows anything about Humanoids."

"I think you're missing the part where he's been trying to arrest me for the past year! Plus, I'm supposed to be in a coma! With brain and spinal damage! He knows this, he's going to know that something's going on."

She waved away his concerns casually. "We'll just explain it away as magick. He'll never know and it is technically true. Let's go; Hattori's in the foyer with Shinichi. He needs to convince Hattori to provide police assistance in capturing any minor members of the Organization."

Kaito gave a long suffering sigh and nodded. "Fine, fine. Why do neither of you tell whatever plan is until seconds before you expect me to do it?" he asked as they walked out of the gym and down the hall.

"On the off chance that you get captured and tortured, you won't be able to reveal the rest of our plan to capture them."

"You expect me to betray you?" he accused, shock and anger coloring his tone.

"I expect you to crack when someone plays with your intestines while they're still inside your body."

He felt nauseous. "Would they…really do that?"  
She stopped and looked at him, an angry sneer twisting her face. "I'm sorry, were you under the impression that our mission was supposed to be pleasant?" Kaito's face burned at the chastisement. "That our lives aren't _always_ at risk? That torture is in fact one of the better things that could happen to you, because once we die, that's it? How I wish the rest of the world was as naïve as you."

An angry retort was on the tip of his tongue, but Kaito held it back. He heard voices up ahead; one defiantly Shinichi's, so the other had to be Hattori. Akako gestured for him to continue without her. "Second door on the left. Try not to say or do anything that makes you seem less human."

"Oh, you mean besides the whole "alive and well despite having been last seen in a coma" thing?"  
Akako glared. "Yes, _besides_ that." She then turned around and continued back the way they came, her long hair swinging behind her. Kaito temporarily entertained the fantasy of cutting it all off, but decided against it. She'd just grow it back with a simple shapeshift.

As Kaito walked closer and closer to the parlor, the voices steadily got clearer and clearer. Kaito wasn't sure if this had something to do with being a Ventus or if the walls in the parlor were just really shitty. "Kudo…" Kaito heard Hattori say. He pressed an ear to the closed door. "These are some heavy accusations you're making. I'd love to help you but…I need proof. You know this."

"I've given you proof!" Came Shinichi's reply, sounding frustrated to hell. "I've given you the files, murders I've been piecing together for the past year. Millions stolen, politicians blackmailed," A fist hit the table hard enough to rattle whatever was on it. "Humans, Demons, Mages, my parents, _Ran_ …" A deep inhale. "How many more people have to die for you to see the connection? This is the work of a singular, small group of people. We have to go after them."

A sigh. "What do you propose we do then? From what you've said, they're nearly impossible to find. How do we draw them out?"

"The KID heist."

Hattori snorted. "The KID heist? Sorry to tell you this, Kudo, but that notice is a fake. At the last heist, KID was put into a coma by your Organization and kidnapped a week later. Based on what you've told me, I now suspect that it was by the same people, so this heist won't draw them out."

"Well, actually…"

He wasn't going to get a more dramatic part to enter at. Kaito threw open the door. "You're incorrect, Inspector," he announced, relishing the shocked look on Hattori's face. "That heist is authentic. I should know; I had to make the note pathetically easy for those dolts at D.E.A.D."

Hattori couldn't seem to speak, shaking and pointing at him. Kaito allowed his brain to catch up to his body. "K-K-KID!?"

Kaito bowed. "At your service."

"H-How!? The doctor said…your injuries…."

Kaito hid a wince and glanced at Shinichi. Fortunately, the Mage had an excuse at the ready. "Mom and Dad became friends with an abnormally good healer from Africa several years ago. I asked him to help Kaito has a favor."

The inspector rapidly looked back and forth between Kaito and Shinichi. "Why didn't you just stay in the hospital? Why all the secrecy?"

"Like you wouldn't have arrested me the moment I woke up." Kaito rolled his eyes. "Thanks to you keeping quiet about my coma, the Organization though they successfully killed me."

"And then another note shows up," Hattori breathed, realization prominent on his features. "So they'd have to investigate and the only place where they know you'll defiantly be is…"

"At the heist," Shinichi finished. "This is why we need your help, Hattori. The normal number of assassins at each heist is 6, both Humans and Demons, but we should operate under the assumption that there will be at least double that."

"Twelve…" Hattori gasped. He poured a drink from the bottle of gin on the table and took a long gulp. "Kudo, you know we're not trained to deal with those."

"You won't have to," Shinichi told him reassuringly. "We have a plan for the Demons; that's why the heist note when straight to D.E.A.D. We need you for something else."

He finished off his drink and placed the glass on the table before nodding. "…Alright. I don't like it, but…I trust you, Kudo. What do you need me to do to take these bastards down?"

 **A/N: Oh, god, the next two chapters are going to be an emotional shit storm. I love it.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

It was time.

Kaito was standing outside the Met, disguised as one of the outside guards. In the bushes behind him was a bag containing everything he'd need for the heist and there were two radio earpieces jammed in his ears. One was connected to the police and their progress in getting ready. The other was connected to Shinichi and others.

"Scarlet is in position," Akako said, her voice bursting through the tiny speaker. Kaito turned off his police radio, just in case they could hear. "Three crows up top to the northwest, Blue." Kaito growled, nearly losing his disguise of a pudgy, middle aged man. Snipers.

"How do they look, Scarlet?" Shinichi—Blue—asked.

"Humans or Mages, I repeat, Human or Mages up 6 stories."

"Understood. Green, send some of your officers to the northwest building, 6th story."

"Got it," came Hattori's quiet, clipped reply. The Inspector must still be uncomfortable with the plan, despite the fact that he and his men were all armed with silver bullets. It was understandable. Hattori was a good man, who cared about those under his command. This debacle of theirs was putting all those people in danger.

Shinichi cut into his thought. "White, how are our lively friends looking this evening?"

Kaito smirked. "In addition to the 30 Mages and Demons outside, there are at least 5 skilled agents scattered all throughout the building in preparation for my escape. At the jewel itself, there's Green and his people along with two Mages and two Demons identified as…" His voice wavered. Kaito took a deep breath. "Aoko Nakamori, Saguru Hakuba, Ginzo Nakamori, and Rei Furuya."

The sound of ruffling paper filled his headset. "Ginzo Nakamori…" Akako muttered. "That's the Banshee in charge of NonBonded Demons, correct?"

"That's right," Kaito said, swallowing the lump in his throat. "He used to be in charge of the Bonded Agents until Furuya took over."

"I thought you had to be Bonded to someone to lead the Bonded Agents, though."

"Reports say that he lost his Bond 4 years ago to a flock of Sirin. Ate her alive," Shinichi said and Kaito shuttered. "It's currently 2330. White, move into position."

"Hey, next time can I choose the codenames? It's really obvious who's who, especially me," Kaito complained as he glanced around for his fellow guards. No one was around. "What if we're being hacked? I could be going straight into an ambush!"

"Do you ever shut up!?" Akako snapped. "We haven't been hacked."

"Rude," Kaito said with a pout. Grabbing his duffle bag, Kaito slipped into the shadows, oozed up the side of the building and into the predetermined vent. He slithered through the tunnels, taking the most direct route to the room that held his target. Protection Runes drawn on metal were useless against a being of pure shadow. All he had to do was slide over them.

Soon Kaito had to tear away from the shadows and become a physical being again. He was near the end of the side of the tall, vaulted roof. "White in position." He said into the radio. "Scarlet, how many wolves on the ground?"

"Eight, including your serpent," Came the reply. Kaito's lip curled. Snake. That bastard…he wasn't going to get away.

Not this time.

Conserving his movements so he wouldn't make too much noise, Kaito shed his disguise in favor of, for once, looking like the Humanoid he was. Kaito swiftly donned the black KID suit, the fabric heavy and familiar even if the color was not. Securing his mantel and monocle, he set the top hat off to the side. It would be put on when he left the vent, when he had more room. Black gauntlets sat innocently under gloves, throwing knives—and regular ones—less innocent in his inner coat pockets.

He was trying not to think. Trying not to think about how his best friend was about to have her heart broken. About how Hakuba, the boy who was once his friend, was going to be attacking him in just a few minutes. About how old man Nakamori was down there and his inevitable heart attack when he realized what happened to Kaito…

Oops, too late.

Kaito took all his emotions and shoved them away. He couldn't focus on that, _anything_ but that! He had to be KID now, emotionless, all fake smiles and magic tricks. That's all he needed, that and his anger.

"Five minutes to show time," Kaito spoke into the radio, forcing any emotion out of his tone. "How are we looking?"

"Green's people are about to encounter the crows," Shinichi said. "Those who didn't are in the display room with him."

"Wolves have moved to the west wing," Akako said with a tsk. "They seem to think White will escape there. Engage?"

"Negative," Shinichi ordered. "Wait for the signal first, then take care of the D.E.A.D. agents throughout the building."

"Affirmative."

Kaito hummed. "West wing…? Well, I can't leave them waiting, can I?" A cruel grin spread across his face, full of sharp teeth and 100% false. Kaito shoved any feelings of uncertainty away with his sentiment. They weren't needed. They would slow him down.

Nothing could stop this now.

"One minute," Shinichi announced. Kaito grabbed his hat and slid into the shadows, leaving his bag and uniform behind to be found by the police. He practically trembled with anticipation. This was it. Dad's death would finally be avenged. Everything, every horrible moment would be worth it in three, two, one…

The lights in the display room, and all over the building, systematically shut off. Kaito could hear the voices shouting below, most prominently Hattori, who was calling for a spotlight to be turned on. Smirk plastered to his face, Kaito oozed through the tiny holes in the vent and up the vaulted roof. He didn't go far before becoming solid again.

It took everything he had not to fall. Gravity was a cruel bitch who didn't like to be ignored. Even with air constantly pushing up on him to keep Kaito's feet firmly planted on the slick roof, he still felt her waiting to pounce, waiting for the second he became too distracted so she could yank him down. Kaito grit his teeth. He only had to do this for a minute or two. Damn it all, wasn't this stuff supposed to be easy for a Ventus!?

Finally, someone below switched on a spotlight. The beam traveled all over the room before landing on Kaito's still form. His smirk widened at the minuscule gasps from his uniformed audience. He must look like quite the spectacle; the dark KID, standing upside down with his mantel snapping around him in wind they couldn't feel.

Well, that was enough staring. He had to get moving before the shock wore off. Kaito raised one hand next to him head while the other descended into his pocket.

Snap.

Click.

 _Crash!_

As Kaito snapped his fingers, he squeezed the remote in his pocket, signaling Akako to break the lightbulbs inside every spotlight in the building. Screams of surprise and anger called out as the room plunged back into darkness.

Kaito dropped to the floor, his cape flaring out dramatically. Too bad no one could see it. The police had specifically chosen a room with a small amount of windows so KID wouldn't be able to repeat his last trick. If only they had known that the windows would have been an advantage this time…

He was half dissolved in shadows when Kaito bypassed the security system and stole the Golden Jubilee. He felt…unstoppable. Like he could take on everyone in the room and win. Was this what Akako talked about, about how the Blue Moon made Humanoids stronger?

Both the exits—to the East Wing and to the West Wing—were "heavily" guarded. It would have been simple to slip over the heads of the police and into the West Wing to confront Snake. But old man Nakamori was guarding the East and Kaito had never liked the simple way.

Appearing behind him, Kaito whispered in the older Demon's ear. "Scared, old man? You should be."

It had the desired effect. " _ **KID!"**_ The Banshee roared. Kaito melted into the shadows before the Demon saw him. "KID's escaping to the East Wing!"

The following stampede would have frightened away a murder of Wendigo's. As the last policeman raced down the hall and around the corner, Kaito reemerged and chuckled. Fools. When Kaito passed back through the display room, he plopped the Golden Jubilee into a fake potted plant. It wasn't what he was after anyway.

No one saw Kaitou KID racing down the halls of the West Wing. Or at least, they shouldn't have. He may had thought of them as fools, but there were at least two people at his heist who could keep up with him. A fact Kaito was rudely reminded of when, instead of finding Snake, Kaito was confronted by Aoko on the other side of a gun.

Kaito eyed her carefully. She was shaking, he realized. The shadows were still hiding his face, so she had no idea if she was aiming at a stranger or her best friend.

Pain blossomed in his chest and was pushed away just as quickly.

"Kaito?" Her voice was hesitant, nothing like how it used to be. Black bags stood out underneath watery eyes. He had done this to her.

Holy hell, he was such an asshole.

In reply, Kaito swung out an arm, his wind blasting her off her feet. He retrieved her gun, staring guiltily at Aoko's groaning form. When he stood, a ring of fire bloomed around him. Kaito hurriedly covered his face with his cape.

Mocking claps reached his ears as Hakuba stepped into view. He looked even worse than Aoko; his hair was greasy and his eyes were bloodshot. His mouth was firmly stuck in a hard scowl. "Very impressive." Hakuba said it like it was the exact opposite. "One could even confuse you for the real KID if they're not careful."

"I aim to please," Kaito shot back.

Hakuba grew visibly angry. "You even have the nerve to copy his voice…" he growled. The fire trapping Kaito flickered closer. "You _dare_ to pretend to be him!" Hakuba shouted, losing his cool for the first time Kaito's seen. " _Where is he!? Where is Kaito Kuroba!? What have you people done to him!?_ "

Hidden by his mantle, Kaito fingered one of his throwing knives. The moment he attacked, Hakuba's flames would fry him alive. He had to shock the Mage, startle him enough so that he'll lose control of his magick.

And there was one for sure way to do that.

Kaito dropped his mantle, the firelight illuminating his face enough to be seen. Horror overtook Hakuba's hard expression as he took in Kaito's blood red eyes. Kaito snarled, baring his fangs—they looked more like dozens of needles shoved up into his gums than actual teeth. Then, Kaito spoke.

"Kaito Kuroba is dead. I killed him."

In that moment, a gun shot rang through the air.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Screw it, I'm updating early.**

 **Chapter 15**

Kaito threw himself to the side, diving through flickering flames that neglected to smother him. He dissolved into the shadows as Hakuba cried out, pained. That, along with the sudden disappearance of fire that plunged the room into darkness, indicating that while Kaito may have been the target, he hadn't been the one to get hit.

Rage tightened its blazing hand around his heart as Kaito materialized behind a display case. A silver knife slid into his hand. "White's engaged," Kaito whispered into his earpiece. "Where's Scarlet? She's supposed to be helping me."

"I've lost contact with her," Shinichi replied, his voice tense with worry. "You're on your own until I can reach her again. I'm fine and I'm sure she is too, so just focus on your wolves…Good luck."

"Thanks," Kaito said, holding back a series of curses. He peeked out from his hiding spot. Aoko, awake and pissed, had retrieved Hakuba and pulled him to the side. The front of Hakuba's dress shirt was partially covered in blood, emanating from his shoulder. There was no sign of Snake or any of his other assassins. He bit his lips. Looks like he'd have to draw them out into the open. "I thought you were a better shot than this, Snake! Did you get lazy while I was away!?"

The reply came moments later. "Heh, Kaitou KID…if that really is you." Kaito's eye twitched from under his monocle; why did everyone think he was an imposter!? "You should have known we would come after you if you showed your face again."

There! Movement, 150 feet away. "Of course I knew that! Why else would I be here!?" It was simple to shadow-travel behind them. There were 8 including Snake, all Ghouls and Wraiths. They were armed with multiple hand guns and two machine guns. Kaito adjusted his grip on his knife. He'd have to take out the machine guns first, before they hurt Aoko or Hakuba.

He couldn't help but think of what Akako said about how they'd torture him if he got caught. Surely it would be worse if a random person or someone he knew was captured instead. It was bad enough he'd hurt them so much emotionally; he wouldn't let Snake torture them too.

Lunging forward, Kaito jabbed his knife into the neck of a Ghoul, one of those with a machine gun. It slid in with ease, the silver parting skin and bone in a sulfuric plume of smoke. The Ghoul dropped and Kaito threw the foul-smelling knife into the other machine-gun-wielding Demon.

It sunk into the Demon's forehead like it was a rotten melon.

Clouds formed on the roof above their heads as Aoko stood up, her hand outstretched and her body firmly in between the bleeding Hakuba and the rest of the room. Her hair, charged with static electricity, flouted around her head like a bizarre halo. "I will not allow you to do this," she said, her voice echoing. The clouds swirled overhead. "You six are all under arrest breaking and entering, conspiracy, and attempted _murder_." Aoko spat out the last word as though it was poison and Kaito flinched.

Snake sneered. "Shoot her."

No chance in hell.

Kaito, his body drenched in shadow, raised his hand, palm upward and fingers curled into claws. Their powers mixed together, the Ventus and the Tempestas, Kaito's swift winds with Aoko's furious storm. A bead of sweat trickled down his cheek with the effort as a hurricane churned within the small confines of the museum.

Rain began to pour in heavy sheets down upon them. Raging gales pummeled the assassins, picking up one, two, three of them and throwing them against the walls. As one flew towards Kaito, they hit the wall with a sickening crack. Lightning cracked up against the ceiling, thunder roaring soon after it.

A gun shot could still be heard over the rain and thunder.

An inhuman, feral screech escaped Kaito's lips from the burning pain of a bullet passing through his left shoulder. It was like being stabbed and then acid was poured into the wound before someone rubbed salt into it for good measure. He clutched at the wound, but the pressure only made it worse. It destroyed Kaito's concentration, leaving the hurricane to putter out as Aoko couldn't keep it up alone. The bullet had passed right through him, sizzling through bone and muscle to leave on a burned, bleeding hole in its wake. He dived out of sight before Snake or the others could recover, hissing as the movement pulled at his damaged tissue.

Snake growled, his claws slashing Aoko across the face. She screamed, crashing into the ground with a hand covering the four deep cuts in her cheek. He leveled his gun at her head. "How pathetic. You're helping a criminal like him."

Gritting his teeth, Kaito watched as the last two Ghouls creeped towards him, though luckily they seemed not to know exactly where he was. Damn it all. Kaito outstretched a hand and the wind, feeble compared to his previous blasts, was just barely enough to knock one into the other. But it disoriented them, giving Kaito the time to heave his body up, the time to lunge forward, and the time to slit their throats.

As Kaito killed them, Aoko's voice rang through the air. "Of course! He's still my friend, no matter what's happened to him." Her voice was so resolute, so absolutely sure in her words that it made Kaito pause. He looked down at his hands; the leather of his gloves was soaked with sulfuric blood, greasing his grip on his knife.

"Your friend?" Snake scoffed, oblivious to the murders of his comrades. "Ha! You actually believe such a creature cares if you live or die? Or do you not know a Humanoid by sight?" Aoko's little gasp told him that no, she didn't. "Well then…let's see who's right."

A cold fury engulfed him. "Don't you dare." The words were whispered yet everyone in the room could hear them. Snake whirled around to see Kaito standing in his lackeys' blood, injured but alive. As Snake aimed at him, he dropped his knife, clenching his fists in rage.

The shadows rose up, reacting to Kaito's hate and pain. They wrapped around Snake's legs and dragged him to his feet, the disgusting Wraith struggling all the way. The black mass pinned the cursing Snake before him. Kaito stomped, Snake's chest giving slightly under his foot. He smiled, the rest of the world fading away.

This was so… _easy._

He stomped again and again, a crazed grin marring his face. This was his revenge. For his father, for Aoko and Hakuba, for _him_ … It was all Snake's fault. And for every misfortune someone has suffered under Snake's hand, he'll repay twice fold, piece by painstaking piece.

He grabbed a new knife from his coat, his bloodlust unstated by just kicks. He'll make every inch of Snake _bleed…_

"Kaito, no! Stop!" He frowned and looked at the distressed Banshee. Stop? How could he stop? He finally had what he wanted for so long, revenge, sweet, bloodthirsty revenge that he sold his humanity for, sold to help protect _her_ , and Mom, and even Hakuba a little bit, and she wanted him to _**stop!?**_ She tried to run at him, but his shadows latched onto her, gluing her to the floor next to her Mage.

He would stop only when Snake was finally _dead_.

The nuisance halted, he turned back to his prey. Oh, had Snake fallen unconscious? Pity. He eyed the Demon. Neck or heart? He'd made a theme of necks tonight, but it wouldn't be that hard to plunge his knife under Snake's sternum and pop his heart like a bubble, flooding the chest cavity with blood. The imagery was rather delightful. Or he could rip open his guts, throwing Snake's intestines across the room… No, he better stick to the neck. Snake's traitorous heart would push all his life force from his body, emptying his veins out onto the floor like the ultimate betrayal. How wonderfully ironic.

Jerking Snake's head back, he raised his knife. "This…" he whispered, to no one and to everyone. "This is for everything you've done to my family." He swung the knife down.

An iron grip caught his wrist.

Startled, Kaito looked up to see Akako towering menacing over him like a war-torn goddess. She looked like shit. Her jaw and neck were covered in silver burns, bright red welts like the bullet wound in Kaito's shoulder that was suddenly hurting again. Her clothes were soaked with blood and, from the way she held herself, not all of it belonged to an enemy. But her hand was steady and her stare ferocious. "We need to go."

Kaito snarled. She glared back, unamused. "This'll take me only a minute," he said, trying to pull his hand away. Akako didn't budge.

"We don't have a minute," She replied, her voice carrying an unusual amount of urgency in it. "Just bring him with you. We'll torture him for information later, but right now, Blue needs us."

Shinichi.

Reluctantly, Kaito swung Snake over his uninjured shoulder. He ignored Aoko's sobs and Hakuba's glare with difficulty, following Akako out a shattered window. When had it broken? How far had he been not to hear it?

His feet hit the ground and started running, sending jolts of pain through his body. Their side of the building was thankfully deserted, but distant voices could be heard steadily approaching. "What happened?" Kaito asked through clenched teeth. "You stopped answering your radio."

"Lost it," she answered. "Gin was hiding with the snipers."

"Gin?"

"The Organization's Humanoid. He killed Ran." She left the words ' _he killed me_ ' unsaid. "Hattori's people didn't stand a chance. Once I realized what was happening, I tried to help, but… Gin didn't like that very much."

Kaito shivered. A Humanoid who could beat Akako? It seemed impossible.

They arrived in an alley where a car was waiting, placed there earlier that day by Shinichi. Kaito loaded Snake into the truck, duck taping his arms, legs, and mouth. He sneered. Once they were safe, Snake would get his due. Soon.

He slid into the passenger seat and Akako cranked the engine. Steam was collecting in the alleyway, blocking the light of the car's low beams. Had a pipe burst? Kaito glanced at Akako. Her jaw was set firm and her eyes set ahead, determined with a hint of fear.

Turning back to the front, Kaito watched as the clouds of steam parted unnaturally, revealing a tall, dark figure. He was dressed in bulletproof armor, his entire body covered in black except for his face which was easily illuminated by the car's headlights.

Horror. That's all Kaito could feel, just a deep, cold horror that consumed him to his core. The word slipped out before Kaito could regain any semblance of control over his brain.

"…Dad?"


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

No.

He couldn't even comprehend it. It couldn't be real. It was impossible. It h-had to be something else, an illusion or even some other type of shape-shifter, but it _couldn't be his dad!_ T-That just didn't make sense, it couldn't be, _he saw him die for Christ's sake!_

The tires screeched as Akako cranked the car into reverse, fleeing out onto the deserted street behind them. She forced it into drive and the car lurched before bolting down the road, away from the approaching sirens. Her eyes darted around, never resting on anything for more than a second. The two flung themselves around a curve, running a red light in their haste as Akako's clenched hands spun the wheel with practiced skill.

Kaito pressed a hand to his still-bleeding shoulder. He had to stop the bleeding. The fact that the pain was helping to clear his head of the pure revulsion trying to crack his ribcage was just an added benefit. His throat felt too tight to speak, but still Kaito was able to grit out, "W-Who was that?"

She spared a moment to glance at him, her eyes accusing him silently until she turned her attention back to everything else. "I told you about him earlier. That was Gin." Akako spat the name in disgust, either unknowing or uncaring of the emotional turmoil she just added to Kaito.

Gin? T-That…was Gin!? The Demon who shot Shinichi and crippled him, the Humanoid who killed Akako's human self, just so happened to look exactly like his father!? He bit his lip, blood pooling around his teeth as thousands of needles sunk in. It was the only thing keeping him from breaking down into hysterical laughter. _What were the fucking odds!?_

He dug a finger into his bullet wound, no doubt damaging it even further but he didn't care. He needed the pain, needed the focus, otherwise he'd drown in the panic threatening to overwhelm him. _No!_ It couldn't be Dad, it wasn't Dad. Dad was the type of person who would feed stray dogs on the street; he wouldn't work for _a murderous organization for fuck's sake!_

Kaito saw him die! He still remembered the day, their car, the trip out to the country side. His dad's eyes looking back at him in the rearview mirror as a red dot appeared on his forehead. The jerk, the blood, the crash. He remembered the way the troll cross around his neck heated up, burning his skin, to protect him from the blazing flames. Snake _admitted_ to killing him, he'd been positive about it the first time they met!

 _His dad was_ _ **dead**_ _and there was nothing he could do to change that!_

Running his free hand through his hair, he heaved out a sigh. So, no. Now that he's established that Gin was _not his father in any way, shape or form,_ he had to figure out why Gin looked like him. Gin could be…just a random doppelgänger? Kaito immediately dismissed the idea. Stuff like that only happened on reality TV. Maybe…maybe Gin was just trying to mess with his head? Snake could have told him that the first Kaitou KID was Toichi Kuroba and Gin could have shape-shifted into him to shock him so much that he'd be an easy kill.

Well, that was never going to happen.

A treacherous voice in the back of his head whispered, _then how did Akako recognize him if he had shifted_? Kaito stamped that voice out. Akako knew Gin long before he did, she could probably recognize him if he turned into a woman. Plus, she had been a Humanoid longer than he had; there was probably some secret way Humanoids identify other Humanoids while they were in a different form, though Kaito couldn't think of anything off the top of his head.

His logic sound enough for the moment, Kaito was caught unaware as Gin appeared in their headlights. Akako cursed and swerved onto another street in an attempt to avoid him. "God damn it, he's a Fumos!"

"A what!?"

"He's a fucking teleporter!" She screamed as Gin appeared in front of them again. They barely missed him. "I can't lose him!"

"Then just hit him with your car or something!"

"Yes, then we'll crash and be without an escape vehicle, brilliant idea KID!" she snapped.

Kaito winced, his hand tightening around his wound as the talisman around his neck seemed to grow heavier. "Right, that's bad. Then how do we get rid of him?"

She scoffed. "Pray? The only thing that will get him to leave us be is if he can't focus on his Type—" A heavy thud from the roof of the car cut Akako off. "…Shit."

"Did he just teleport onto the roof?"

"Shit!" she screamed again, sharply jerking the car to the left. The car swerved back and forth in her attempts to get Gin to fall off. The only thing Kaito could do was hold on tight and try not to slam into the side door too hard.

Suddenly, the ceiling collapsed inwards, a hand-sized dent appearing in the metal roof. Akako cursed so hard she nearly crashed the car against a street light. Desperate, Kaito turned to her. "Is there a gun in here?"

Her eyes widened slightly. "Glove compartment," she said as another dent appeared overhead. Fishing the gun out, Kaito pointed it up towards the roof. His hands were slick with blood, both his own and of others. He could barely hold it steady; his hands were shaking so much. He flexed them. Kaito wouldn't let Gin get to them, or to Shinichi, or to anyone else. Not now. He pulled the trigger.

Three bullets ripped through the top right where Kaito estimated Gin's body was. A scream tore through the air and he watched as a black blur fell off the top of the car and onto the street in a crumbled heap. He could feel Gin's glare aimed towards them as the body rapidly disappeared and a shiver ran down Kaito's spine. He lowered the smoking gun and turned his earpiece back on. Shinichi was frantically shouting into it, worry coloring his tone. "K-White, are you there!? Where are you two? Gin's is at the museum, I repeat—"

"I shot him," Kaito said, cutting Shinichi off. "I shot Gin, three times. A-Scarlet's with me and we have Snake in the trunk. I've been shot and Scarlet's got a few injuries herself, but we'll be able to get home alright."

Shinichi sighed in relief. "That's…better than I hoped for. I'll meet you both at the door." The line crackled and went dead.

"Do you think he's dead?" Kaito asked, staring at Akako.

Akako pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "As much as I want to say yes, I seriously doubt it. I've run into Gin twice before and barely escaped. He's…tough is the only word I can think of. You're still primarily functional with just one bullet in you, so I think it's safe to say he's not dead yet. He won't be coming after us again tonight. Gin will probably return to the Mage who made him and lick his wounds."

"And…" His tongue suddenly dried in his mouth. Kaito swallowed. He shouldn't ask this. He should be confident in his reasoning. But still… "Those two times you faced off against him…did he always look like that?"

"As in his clothing or…?"

"His face."

She glanced at him from the corners of her eyes. "Yes, he did. Every single time."

Pressing a bloody hand against his forehead, Kaito stayed quiet the rest of the ride home as his world crashed down around him.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

A glob of cold blood slid down Kaito's throat. He shuddered; the liquid was disgusting when cold, but he couldn't find the strength to get up and heat it in the kitchen. All he could do was sit slumped against the wall outside the mansion's torture room. As Kaito raised his mug to his lips again, he could hear another one of Snake's screams, extremely faint as though from a far distance. It was a testament to the Kudo's soundproofing capabilities that he could just barely pick it up and only when he was actively searching for it.

He licked a trace of blood from his lips, the copper penny taste making him grimance, and tilted his head back. Pain throbbed as it hit the wall with a dull thud. Akako and Shinichi had been in there for a while now, a least several hours. When they had arrived after the heist, Kaito had barely swallowed a mouthful of blood before passing out from the blood loss and silver poisoning. Akako had shaken him awake at dawn, force-fed him a blood packet and, thrown three more at him before retreating back into the torture room where Shinichi had been waiting. The bullet wound in his shoulder had been clotted then—Humanoid's extra-strength healing in overdrive, even against blood loss and silver burns—and now it was nearly healed, though Kaito imagined that he would always carry the scar.

Kaito supposed he should feel irritated for not being allowed to partake in the bastard's pain—Snake had hurt _his_ family the most, _he_ should be the one ripping the Wraith apart!—but mostly, he just felt empty. Back in the museum…he had lost it. He was so determined to kill Snake… He killed seven men. He ignored Aoko's cries for mercy. But Shinichi…Akako just had to mention his name and Kaito had snapped out of it. Was it a Humanoid thing? Did just the mention of his creator's name draw his attention like a soldier hearing his commander's voice? Kaito doubted it. If so, he would have noticed it earlier. But if it wasn't some Humanoid thing, than what was it? He had no idea.

No, that was wrong. He had an idea. He was just trying not to think about it.

It wasn't the only thing he was trying not to think about. Gin was…no, Gin _looked_ like his father, but couldn't possibly be his father. Right. Of course. It had been dark, he'd been in pain, there was steam everywhere. His mind had to be playing tricks on him, because _there was no possible way—_

The door in front of him opened and Kaito perked up as Shinichi limped through the door. The Mage stared wearily at him and then, to Kaito's shock, sat beside him, grunting in pain as he slid to the floor. Shinichi rubbed his bad knee with a bittersweet smile. "Stupid thing…it's been a year, yet it still hurts with every move I make." He glanced at Kaito from the corner of his eyes. "Akako told me. What you said when you first saw Gin. I'm sorry. I-If I had known…I would have left you alone, I swear."

A sudden huff of laughter left Kaito's lips. "If you had known, then I'd still be in a coma." He closed his eyes. "Compared to that…" Endless waiting and obliviousness verses painful reality, "Well, I wouldn't say it's bearable, but I'd rather be here than there."

Shinichi nodded, understanding. He spoke hesitantly, as if the wrong words would set Kaito off. Though at this point, that's probably what would happen. "What you're feeling…I can't even imagine it. I lost my family, yes, but…for this to happen, when you've worked so long to avenge him—"

"Taking KID's mantle was never for vengeance," Kaito admitted for the first time. "The dead have no need of vengeance; they're dead. I did it for me, for Mom, for the happy future and all the opportunities with him that we lost because of his death. But he's not dead, is he?" His body began to shake, his fangs slicing into the soft skin inside his mouth. He swallowed another mouthful of bagged blood to rid himself of the sulfuric flavor that was his own. "Nothing else fits. Akako said that he's always looked like that and there is no reason to disguise yourself as a dead Mage when you expect that everyone you meet will wind up dead. It's him."

"From the evidence I've been able to find…Gin first appeared only a few weeks after your father's murder. I'm so sorry."

"How could he do this to us!?" Kaito shouted, fury suddenly bubbling up in him. He ran his fingers through his hair, his thin form shuddering from the _**total betrayal**_ flooding through him. "How could he do this to our family!? I _grieved_ for him, for so long! He's a good person! He was a good person! Even if he was forced to do these things by his creator, he still could have let us know he was still alive! A visit, a phone call, _a damn postcard would have been fine!_ But no! Mom nearly destroyed herself with grief, I was left aimless and alone and afraid for the rest of my childhood, all the while Dad was _**killing people**_!"

Hands reached out and grabbed Kaito's wrists, prompting him to look up and see Shinichi right in front of his face, having moved sometime during his rant. He slowly lowered Kaito's hands away from his head and the Demon was shocked to see blood under his nails from where he had apparently buried them into his scalp. He hadn't even felt the pain. "Kaito, he's not the only one who has hidden knowledge concerning their survival from his family." Kaito flinched at the sudden guilt. "Perhaps he has a reason similar to your own—protecting the ones he loves."

The ones he loves… The words froze Kaito in Shinichi's arms. Even though the subject has plagued him since last night—it now being noon—Kaito had never once stopped to wonder what prevented his dad from talking to then. But he wouldn't have been able to; not without putting them in danger from the Mage who created him. "I'm still mad at him," Kaito said, though he was less angry than he'd been before. "He still betrayed me and Mom, but…I did do the same thing. For the ones I love."

Somehow, he had a lot more of those than he had expected. His mom and Aoko were a given, obviously, but Kaito was shocked to find that Aoko's dad and Hakuba, someone Kaito was fairly convinced that he hated, were on the list. His extended family was knocked off of there years ago when it had been revealed that he was magickless and Dad's place was down quite a few spaces, so there was plenty of room to spare. Even Akako and her stupid, flesh-eating dog made the list too, just barely, though they were mostly there because Shinichi might be hurt if they weren't.

Shinichi…he was definitely there, right at the top in the same level as Aoko and his mom. Kaito really, really liked Shinichi, even though he probably didn't like Kaito back. And he didn't even know how Shinichi did it; the Mage managed to wedge his way inside Kaito's heart in between life-and-death situations and Kaito flirting with him to make Shinichi blush.

He shouldn't tell Shinichi. It was a really bad idea to tell Shinichi. It would mess with their dynamic, making things awkward during their mission to which they were both duty-bound to complete. He couldn't even think of a universe where Shinichi could actually return his affections. But Kaito…he didn't want to leave anything unsaid between them. Yet he couldn't control his mouth to make him actually _say_ anything.

So he didn't. Kaito just reached out, cupped Shinichi's face in his hands, and lightly kissed his cheek.

Shinichi jerked back, startled. Kaito smiled sadly. Of course he would do that. Kaito was a blood-drinking monster; who wouldn't flinch away? But Shinichi was staring at him with those large, confused eyes, so Kaito explained, "I promise to protect everyone I love from Gin, Shinichi. Even if it results in my own death. So if that happens, I can't leave this world for good without letting you know…I love you. I'll stand by your side through everything, even through battling my own father. I'll keep you safe."

His eyes closed, ready to receive the inevitable exclamation of Shinichi's disgust with him. He was a monster, after all. Even Frankenstein didn't love his creation. However, Kaito did not expect to hear Shinichi snicker at him. His eyes snapped open to see Shinichi openly laughing at him. "I'm an idiot," Shinichi said in between laughs, much to Kaito's shock. "And here I thought you were straight!"

"What!?"

"The way you spoke of your friend, Aoko… I thought you were in love with her, when all this time, you like me? Of all the luck!"

Kaito stared unblinking at Shinichi as his laughter died down. "Aoko and I have always been friends, but I never wanted to date her… Are you saying that you like me too?"

"Well, that depends," Shinichi leaned forward. "Can I get a proper kiss first?"

He obliged, pressing their lips together in a single, simple move that felt like the stars were exploding.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

The kiss started gentle. Kaito moved his lips softly against Shinichi's, his hands cradling the other boy's head. He leaned over the Mage, practically straddling him, and desperately trying to get closer. His body felt weak with relief, every touch sending shivers through his trembling skin. Shinichi's arms were draped around his back; one hand lazily ran through his hair while the other soothingly stroked the back of his neck. Like he was finally whole. His grief and anger, while not forgotten, were pushed aside for something that Kaito honestly believed that he didn't deserve to have. That didn't stop him from taking it, though, and he wouldn't regret it. He bit Shinichi's lower lip and he gasped, allowing Kaito's tongue to poke through and dance with Shinichi's. No, he'd never regret this. Even if Shinichi left him, unable to love a monster like him (not that Kaito would blame him), he'd still have this kiss. This perfect, sublime kiss that he'd forever cherish. Nothing could ruin it—

"You two are disgusting."

Except for apparently Akako. Shinichi yelped and jerked away, displacing Kaito who landed hard on his backside. Her eyes lit up with amusement though her mouth was still curled into a grimace. His hands running through his hair to try and smooth it, Shinichi stuttered out an excuse. "We weren't—I mean, it's not—Well no, I—"

"We made out," Kaito said helpfully as Shinichi choked on his words.

Akako rolled her eyes before sitting on the floor with them. " _Obviously_. For future reference, would you mind do that somewhere other than in the middle of the hall? Some people need to walk here."

"W-What makes you think we're going to do that again!?" Shinichi asked, his blush crawling up towards his ears. Kaito thought he looked adorable. "We could have just been trying it out!"

" _Right_. If you say so, then I'll be more than happy not to argue. Anyway, Snake finally said something of use."

Shinichi perked up, embarrassment forgotten. "Really? Something about the Organization I hope."

"Yeah, about that...there's not so much as an Organization than there is a bunch of mercenaries working for the same boss."

"What?" Kaito exclaimed. "But what's the difference?"

"We'd have to take down the entire group if it was an Organization," Shinichi explained. He propped his chin in the space between his thumb and pointer finger as he thought. "Organizations have structure, a hierarchy. If we just arrested the boss of an Organization, than his second or third would just crawl into power. But mercenaries… if the boss goes down, the mercenaries would scatter, ultimately being harder to catch but not causing the massive destruction they were before."

"Not that there's much left to catch," Akako scoffed. "KID managed to kill most of them in his blood-rage last night. I'd be impressed if I didn't know how quickly you lost yourself."

Kaito hid a flinch. "Yeah, well it was Snake and they shot my frie—someone I know. The same would happen to you if it had been Shinichi." Though if it was Shinichi, it would be safe to say that there would have been two blood-raging Humanoids last night.

"Stop it," Shinichi ordered with no real force behind the words. "Did Snake say anything else, Akako?"

"He's surprisingly resistant to torture, but I'm…persistent." She smirked and a shiver ran down Kaito's back. "And no one can last forever. In fact, he passed out after you left the room, Shinichi. He revealed that they are contacted through a system of post office boxes; in one box there is a list of what the mercenaries need to do for the month and a key to next month's box. He revealed the names of some of his co-workers that KID missed. And apparently, he doesn't know who hired him, only that he's called Ano Kata."

"Oh, well _that's_ useful." Kaito scoffed. "Sure, let's just look up Ano Kata in the phone book, that'll work!"

"Listen to me, you sarcastic waste of space—"

Suddenly, the hallway lights flickered twice. This stopped Akako mid-rant, instead causing her to pull Shinichi to his feet and rest her head on a decretive mirror a few feet away. Kaito stood, draining the last of his blood as his eyes darted about in search of what was wrong. He had a bad feeling about this… "What was that?" he asked.

"Warning light," Shinichi answered. "Someone who means to cause us harm has crossed over the wards. Akako?"

"D.E.A.D." she said, her brow furrowed. "At least 10 agents, all Mages, maybe more that I can't see from the manor's windows, all approaching from the front."

Shinichi inhaled quickly as what was happening dawned on him. "An elite Demon capture squad. And they're meant for us. Hattori told?"

"Does it matter right now!?" Kaito asked. If he strained his ears, he could pick up the sound of boots thudding on the pavement outside. "You two need to get out now." Surprise crossed over not only Shinichi's face, but Akako's as well. "They're expecting just one Humanoid Demon; Aoko and Hakuba didn't get that good of a look at Akako last night. Anyway, I'm the less experienced of the two of us. Shinichi, you'll be safer with her and I can give you just enough time to escape. Can you get through the tunnel that leads to your neighbor's house in time?"

"We're not leaving you—"

"Yes, we can," Akako said, cutting Shinichi off by throwing him over her shoulder. He pounded on her back in protest. Placing two fingers at her lips, she whistled. Kaito clapped his hands over his ears at the piercing shriek. Lucifer skittered down the hall towards them, low growls resonating from his throat. "Lucifer! Protect the house! And Kuroba…thank you."

"Just get him out of here." Kaito didn't watch as Akako carried a struggling Shinichi away. He couldn't. His face blanked into an emotionless mask as he stalked towards the front foyer with Lucifer by his side. Carpet burned under the Chupicabras' feet, his mouth glowing with the fire all Ignis Demons held inside of them. The lights grew dim as he passed, his mood and power unconsciously extinguishing them. Good. The darker it was, the more of an advantage he'd have.

He could die doing this. He could die protecting Shinichi. But Kaito didn't mind. He'd die for his mom, for Aoko, for even Hakuba and Akako, so it wasn't the sacrifice that bothered him. It was that Shinichi would be pissed at him if he'd die. So Kaito would win. Even without weapons, with only his wind, shadows, and a low-leveled Ignis Demon on his side. Reaching the top of the stairs, Kaito slid into the shadows as the first agent entered the house. He'd win. He had to.

Slowly, more and more agents slipped into the house. There were ten in all, as Akako said, each with their faces covered by black helmets and their bodies protected by riot gear. Each man stood tense, hands on their guns or clutching talismans. One Mage nervously snapped his fingers, little sparks flying every time he did so. They were all so nervous. Did they know that he was a Humanoid? He supposed it didn't matter, but they'd no doubt have an accurate grasp of his powers from whatever Aoko and Hakuba told them about last night. So, he'd have to do something unexpected—

With a thunderous snarl, Lucifer lunged down the stairs, sinking his three fangs into the nearest Mage's throat. The man burst into flames, the bright fire blinding all the Mages in the dark house. Kaito struck, detaching from the shadows only to bowl two men over with them. He leapt from the balcony, a fireball propelled through the air where his head had once been. Kaito slammed into one of them. They crashed into the floor and Kaito swiftly snapped the other's neck before retreating into the shadows.

Several shots pelted around Lucifer, one catching him in his leg. An agent aimed his gun at the Chupicabras' head when a shadow reared up behind him and knocked the weapon from his hand. Kaito materialized just long enough to grab it while Lucifer finished the Mage off. Seven left—

He'd stayed in sight too long, he realized as a silver chain wrapped around his neck. An ear-shattering shriek burst from his throat, his hands flying up to pull the metal away from his burning neck only to have his fingers blister uselessly. Hands grabbed him, jerking his arms behind his back and forcing his hands into silver-coated shackles. Kaito managed to focus long enough to blast his assailants back with his wind, but a sharp kick to his knees sent him sprawling across the hardwood floor. His chin banged into it and his concentration was lost.

Spots flew around the room as Kaito tried to fight back, but the Mages overcame him. His head was yanked back by his hair as he watched three agents corner Lucifer as two others ran off to search the manor. Growling, Lucifer swiped his claws at one and tried to escape, but with a quick twitch of a finger, he collapsed to the floor, blood slowly leaking out of a hole in his misshapen head as the smell of rotten eggs filled the room.

Tears fell in globs down Kaito's face as a black bag was shoved over his face and his ankles were tied with rope. He clenched his jaw, determined not to make a sound even when they dragged him outside and down the front steps, burning his skin even further. Hopefully, they had escaped. It didn't matter what happened to him, he tried to convince himself. If they were safe, he would be fine.

Someone picked him up, only to drop him into some kind of box. The lid slammed shut, revealing it to be a car trunk. More tears dripped down Kaito's face as he shifted, trying to relieve the searing pain in his neck and wrists. They were safe, he'd be fine. They were safe, he'd be fine. Kaito repeated that mantra in vain over and over as the car started and began moving, but repetition did nothing to stop the continuous feeling of dread.


	19. Chapter 19 (I'm so sorry)

**Chapter 19**

 **Trigger Warning: Graphic Torture Ahead. This is the Chapter is the Reason Why This Story Rated M.**

They'd chained him up and left him here, wherever here is. Kaito had lost all sense of time shortly after the D.E.A.D. agents pulled him from the car. His teeth were clenched around the thick fabric of the hood over his head. That was the only thing he could do to keep from screaming. The silver burns around his neck and wrists only got worse by the second, stinking up the room with his sulfuric blood. Worry gnawed at his heart. Was Shinichi okay? He had only held them back for a minute or two, had it been enough? Or was he tied up in a different room, bleeding, broken, and magic blocked.

The door opened. Or at least, Kaito thought it opened; everything was muffled by his hood. He flinched when a hand yanked his chin up. "So, this is the infamous Kaitou KID," an unfamiliar man said.

"His name is Kaito Kuroba, sir." Was that…Hakuba!? What was _he_ doing here!? He got shot last night; he should still be on bedrest!

"It doesn't know that," the unknown replied. "Humanoids don't remember the people they once were. Kudo no doubt gave it a new name when he created it."

With that confusing statement, he ripped Kaito's hood off his head, the part in his mouth being torn free. Kaito blinked away the black spots swarming his vision. The florescent lights reflected harshly off the cement walls, burning his eyes. In front of him stood Saguru Hakuba…and Rei Furuya.

Hakuba was pale and shaking, like he was about to puke and pass out. A sling supported his arm, so it could have been blood loss. Kaito doubted it. And Furuya… Furuya looked _smug_. "Do you know where you are?" Furuya asked, his eyes raking over Kaito's body.

Kaito didn't answer. They were obviously in a D.E.A.D. interrogation cell, anyone with a brain could see that. But he wouldn't speak. He wouldn't betray Shinichi and every time he answered a question upped the chance he'd answer again.

Furuya glared at him. "You're in one of D.E.A.D.'s cells." Kaito rolled his eyes and was rewarded with seeing Furuya twitch. "Tell me, what are you called? What name has your master given you? We'll take off those chains if you talk to us."

Again, Kaito kept his silence. Hakuba glanced back and forth between Kaito and his boss, the only sign of his worry in the furrow of his eyebrows. "Perhaps Kudo ordered him not to talk? You told me that Blood Bonds with Humanoids are different, that they can be forced to follow orders. Could this be the case?"

"No," Furuya said, scowling. Kaito shifted nervously under his glare, hissing when it aggravated his wounds. "The little shit stain hasn't been ordered. He doesn't show any of the symptoms: ragged pupils, dilation, decreased aggression. And I know Kudo's type: he wouldn't have ordered it not to talk; in his mind, he wouldn't have to. Kudo's no doubt still waiting for his Humanoid to show up whenever he's hiding."

Part of Kaito wanted to snap that Furuya didn't know anything about Shinichi, but the best of him was faltering under the relief that Shinichi had escaped. He was safe.

A phone rang and both Hakuba and Kaito flinched. Furuya checked his text, the corner of his mouth twitching up as he read it. "I've just received permission to use advanced interrogation techniques. Agent Hakuba, watch it while I go retrieve what we need."

"Of course, sir." Hakuba nodded his submission and Furuya left.

They studied each other. Kaito licked his cracked lips, flashing a bit of fang, and Hakuba shrank back. Any trace of fear or pain was well hidden behind a Kuroba-worthy poker face. "How's your arm?" he blurted out. Hakuba blinked in surprise and Kaito floundered to save face. "What's with that face? I only wanted to scare you away last night, not hurt you."

"I-It's fine," Hakuba said, visibly unnerved. "It's not like you intended it to happen."

Kaito scoffed. "Yeah. Ahoko would flay me alive if I tried."

Hakuba's eyes bulged and he seemed to stop breathing. It was amusing. Far better than whatever Furuya planned for him. "Y-You…?" Hakuba cleared his throat, staring at Kaito like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "You remember?"

Kaito smiled, his lip breaking open. Blood dripped down his lip. "Like I could forget that annoying face."

Tears seemed to well up in Hakuba's eyes, but the Mage looked away and they were gone. He was angry now. "Do you have any idea how much we suffered?" He whispered. His jaw clenched. "How worried we were? _We thought you were dead_!" Kaito cringed at the shout. " _We thought we were going to have to face your murderer, Aoko and I!_ A-And then…in the museum…" His hands covered his face, shielding it from view.

"I'm sorry. I was a sitting duck in that ring of fire; I had to do something to escape. Snake…he would have killed us all if he'd gotten a bullet in my head."

"And what about abandoning us!?" he accused. "If you remembered this entire time, you could have escaped long enough to let us know you were okay, before Kudo—"

"There was nothing to escape from," Kaito snapped. "I chose to become a Demon, I chose not to contact you, or Aoko, or mom…this was my decision. Don't you belittle Shinichi for my choices. Besides…I didn't think you'd care this much."

Hakuba sputtered incoherently. "But what…I don't—Of course I care! You're my friend!"

Kaito snorted. "Some friend I am. I've done nothing but hurt you since we were kids."

"You were grieving." Kaito stared up in surprise at him. "You'd just lost your father and it always hurt. I understood that…but I couldn't forgive you being Kaitou KID. I thought that if you knew that I knew, it would inspire you to stop. Besides…if you really hated me, you would have sabotaged my relationship with Aoko." Hakuba kneeled down, actually dirtying his suit pants, and placed a hand on an unburned part of Kaito's shoulder.

"My behavior was still unacceptable. I just…thought you could hand me being a monster."

"We can talk about this later," Hakuba said, his face grim. "Furuya is going to be back any minute. Kaito, we have orders to _torture_ you for information." Kaito blanched at the thought. "You need to tell us where Kudo is. Furuya…he's very good at what he does."

"I won't betray Shinichi, Saguru," Kaito told him, a determined set to his jaw. "Like I told you—I chose to become a Humanoid. If I hadn't, I'd still be in a coma and you, mom, and Aoko would probably be dead."

"If you don't say anything, you'll probably be killed!"

Kaito nodded. He'd known this was always a possibility. And now, with his dad out there alive and doing repulsive things to countless people, he knew that he had to survive for as long as possible. "Then I'll be killed." If he could protect Shinichi, protect their mission, he'd be alright with that.

Furuya took that moment to come back into the room, a stainless steel cart rolling along beside him, metal tools rattling around on top of it. A hand trailed over the silver implements like a lover's caress, taking a few seconds to toy with one or another in thought before moving on until he found a knife he liked. It was a filleting knife, a long, slim blade made for cutting meat. Kaito suddenly felt sick. Furuya, handling the blade with what could only be an expert's touch, dragged the tip down Kaito's cheek, not enough pressure to cut skin, but enough to sting. Gulping, Kaito did his best to look impassive in the face of his imminent torture as Hakuba looked on, horrified, from the back of the room. Furuya grinned, his eyes glinting sickly. "Let's begin, shall we?"

He started with questions about Kaito's creation, asking about how long it had took for him to transform and who he killed as his first meal. True to his word, Kaito stayed silent, even when Furuya started to carve off the flesh of his arm in retaliation. The sulfur-blood smell grew as more splattered on the ground, strips of skin following soon after word. His mouth was a disgusting mess, needle-fangs shredding the inside as he tried to keep quiet. The tactic worked, at least until Furuya poured literal salt into the wound.

A scream rang through the air before Kaito could get back under control. His vision went blurry as tears filled his eyes, Furuya still manhandling the exposed muscles on his arm. Ten seconds passed, then twenty, then thirty, the pain never subsiding. At least it wasn't getting worse, yet. No doubt that would change soon.

The D.E.A.D. bastard replaced his filleting knife with another one, hell if Kaito knew what kind. He observed it with the kind of focus that an artist reserved for him muse. "Perhaps I should take those sticky fingers of yours, Kaitou KID… would you talk if I took such an important part of you away?"

"Sir!" Hakuba reprimanded, panic barely there in his voice. "The higher ups would reprimand you if you started permanently harming hi—it, it during the first day. Sir."

"Hmm…" Furuya gave Hakuba a look, but set the knife back down. "It's not like he'll need them anymore, but if you think so…" He picked up a new tool—a syringe filled with liquid silver. Furuya saw Kaito staring at it and waved it cheerfully under his nose. "Colloidal silver," he said as his explanation. "An old, ineffective medicine. It's not pure silver, so it won't kill you, but…well, the cliché about wishing you were dead will be true soon enough."

He slid the needle into the taunt flesh of his stomach, not even bothering to find a vein. The monster stepped back as the burning began. Biting back the pain was barely an option as agonizing cramps crushed his organs from within. Sweat poured off Kaito's forehead in bullets as his body abruptly fought off a sudden fever, his hands clammy and trembling in their shackles and his teeth bared in a pain-filled snarl. He tried to block out the pain, perhaps fall into some fictional meditative trance to cope, but the excruciating agony stayed at the forefront of his mind. All the while, Furuya was whispering in his ear, _tell me where to find Shinichi Kudo, tell me, it will stop if you just tell me. It's so easy, just give me anything, anything at all_ , to which Kaito opened his mouth, not screaming, just long enough to spit a glob of blood in Furuya's face.

The punch caught him in the eye, the chair falling to the ground with Kaito along with it. Kaito watched blearily as Furuya raise his boot and then more suffering. He kept his gaze locked onto a crack in the floor as the beating rained down upon him. How long was this going to last? It felt like hours already. Why was he—Shinichi, he was doing this for Shinichi.

A hand gripped his chin and forced Kaito to look into cold grey eyes. "I can kill you," Furuya said quietly, confidently, like the teacher's pet after an easy test. "I've seen you Humanoids do amazing, terrifying things, but one silver knife into your Blood Bond…" The filleting knife was back and pressed against Kaito's mouth as he tried not to tremble. "Your Mage's magic is the only thing keeping your filthy soul in your body. Sure, you'll die as well when we execute Kudo—and we will, it's only a matter of time until we find him—but if you tell us soon, you'll save yourself a lot of pain."

The Mage stood, leaving Kaito collapsed on the ground, still roped up and chained down. He stared down blankly at Kaito before turning. "Think about what I said. Let's go, Hakuba."

They left him alone in the dark, Hakuba giving him one last worried look before the lights went off. Kaito could have snorted at their stupidity—he could control the shadows, for goodness sake!—but in the sate he was in, both physically and emotionally, all he could do was close his eyes.

The lower half of his body felt numb while the upper screamed in agony, his open cuts and burns dripping blood onto the floor. The sharp, burning sensation in his stomach was all he could focus on. Sometimes it would die down for a few seconds, only to flare up again with seemingly increased intensity. Cold shivers shot through his body and both his hands and legs were trembling.

He couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't do anything. He…he had to be dying. No! No, no, no, no, no! He couldn't die, wouldn't die, not here! He had to see Shinichi again, he had to see Aoko and his mom and Hakuba and even Akako, damn it all!

He was tired, so, so tired. Maybe he should go to sleep, just for a little bit, just long enough for the silver to get out of his system. Yes, that sounded like a good idea. He'd just take a short nap.

Had it been this cold earlier? A shiver quaked through Kaito's body, unable to help it. He had no way to warm up, not tied up alone, not with all the blood leaving his body. What happened to a Humanoid once they were devoid of blood? His breathing shook as Kaito tried to get more air into his blood-filled mouth, spitting more and more red onto the floor by his head. His eyes, so heavy, too heavy, slipped close as one word sputtered past his lips.

"S-Shin…ichi…"

Love you…


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Kaito's throat burned like a bitch.

This wasn't anything new. Whenever he got hurt or used his power too often and went to bed without a drink, he'd wake up ready to maul someone. It once got so bad that Shinichi had to install a mini-fridge and microwave in his room just in case. But rarely did his entire body _ache_ like this.

He tried to open his eyes, but a sharp bolt of pain lanced through his stomach. A groan escaped.

"He's waking up," someone said. Who… who was that? He knew him… "Hand me that pitcher of blood, will you? It will help flush the silver out of his system."

"Here." He _definitely_ knew that voice. Kaito tried to speak, but just like the rest of him, it didn't work, resulting in a dry croak. Someone gently shushed him.

"Thank you," the first voice replied. Warm liquid spilled onto Kaito's lips and he instantly recognized the coppery flavor of blood. He swallowed, relishing the metallic taste on his tongue, and more flowed into his mouth. Guzzling greedily, Kaito felt the pain in his stomach grow dull. His arm, formerly an irritating itch, was soothed and the various cuts on his body stopped hurting. "This is… quite disgusting."

The second hummed their agreement. Soon, the blood stopped pouring and Kaito whimpered in disappointment. He pried open his eyes only for his jaw to drop when he saw the people hovering over him. "Hakuba?" he rasped. "…Mom?"

She smiled down at him, her eyes full of tears. "Hey sweetie." She reached down to touch his cheek, but hesitated. "You need to get up now. We're not safe here."

The events of the past few days came back to Kaito in an instant. He still wore the remains of his black sweater and he recognized the room they were in as the cell he'd been… Oh, God. He'd been _tortured_. He had nearly _died_. Looking down at his hands, Kaito lightly touched the pink, new skin on his arm that he'd managed to grow back. People weren't supposed to just grow back skin in what? A few hours?

Hakuba shook him lightly, making Kaito blink up at him. "You can freak out later, but right now, I need you to focus. Chikage is going to sneak you out of here in her car while I make a distraction. Can you walk?"

Kaito nodded and almost fell off the bed while trying to stand. His mom quickly came to his rescue, holding him up. "I'll be fine," Kaito said. He started at Hakuba, searching his face for any lie or untruth. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because—"Hakuba paused, licking his lips, "—you're my friend, Kuroba. No matter how you've treated me, I've always considered you a friend. And if you say that there's a reason for this, that you've chosen this, then I'll trust you."

His eyes widened as Hakuba turned to leave. He'd treated Hakuba like crap for so long, always pushing him away, jealous, hateful, and angry. And yet… Hakuba still cared? Reaching out, Kaito grabbed Hakuba's shoulder, nearly pulling both of them to the floor. "Thank you," Kaito blurted out to Hakuba's surprise. "Thank you for trusting me. Take care of Aoko for me?"

"Nothing could stop me from doing so," he reassured Kaito before leaving, closing the door behind him.

Mom appeared behind him, moving his arm so he rested his weight on her, and she practically dragged him out the door. They staggered through the halls, encountering no one much to Kaito's confusion. "Where is everyone?" Kaito whispered as they passed another room filled with empty workplaces.

"It's currently one in the morning, sweetie," she grunted, cutting into the next hall. "And I'm a Diviner, remember? It would be rather pathetic of me if I couldn't even divine where the night guards were."

Eventually, we escaped out one of the back entrances where a car with tinted windows was waiting. Mom helped him into the passenger seat, to which he allowed only because he could barely walk. She climbed into the driver's side and, without anyone knowing they had been there, drove off.

They sat in silence, exchanging looks back and forth when they thought the other wasn't looking. But Kaito could always feel her staring at him, specifically at his face. Finally, he spoke. "Did Hakuba explain to you about the whole—" he gestured at his eyes and mouth, letting her make her own conclusions.

"Yeah, a little," she said, her eyes leaving the road for a second. "He said…that someone turned you into a Demon, to save your life. That otherwise you'd still be in a coma. I didn't really believe him at first but… here you are." She finished lamely.

"Here I am," he agreed, rubbing his shoulder. He should tell her about dad. It… it wasn't fair for her not to know. She had to know that he was… he was evil now, not dead just evil. But… she looked like she was barely keeping it together. Her roots were showing, indicating that it had been weeks since she'd last been to a salon. Her makeup, while perfect, did little to cover up the puffiness of her eyes and there were new winkles where there hadn't been before. "It's okay, Mom," he told her, trying to cheer her up. "I did choose this. I chose to become a Humanoid. And it's not all bad. I've got a bunch of cool powers that I never knew were possible when I was magickless. Like, I walked up a wall the other day, without any wires or anything! And, I think I even have a boyfriend now!"

A laugh sprung out, surprising them both. She smiled at him, looking ten years younger in an instant. "You suddenly get awesome powers, yet it's the boyfriend you're excited about the most?"

Kaito shrugged. "In my defense, I'd say he's a pretty amazing boyfriend. He's very kind and considerate, but may the gods help you if you make him angry or hurt someone he cares about." This was… him now. He grinned, a warm, fuzzy feeling washing away the last of his pain.

His mom's smiled faded a bit. "You're so grown up… and I missed it." She whispered, turning towards him to place a hand on his cheek. No hesitation this time. "Kaito… I love you. No matter what you are, you're always my little boy— _Shit!_ "

Startled, his mom slammed on the breaks as a black shadow rose up from the road. The car swerved, desperate to avoid collision, but it followed them, diving through the windshield and into the backseat. Mom continued to curse as the shadow took the form of a familiar pain in the back.

Akako smirked at him as Kaito tried to put his body between her and his mom. "What's with that face, KID?" she asked, one eyebrow arched daintily. "You look like you're facing an enemy."

"How do I know I'm not," he countered. "Humanoids shapeshift."

"Gin's a Fumos; he would have teleported on top or in," she said. "If you'd think for more than five seconds, you'd remember I went straight through the glass—a Speculum trait if you'll recall." She was right. Kaito settled back down in his seat.

His mom glared at Akako, something she apparently found amusing. "Kaito, who is this?"

"She's Akako. She's like me," he told her. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. "She's been helping get the people who killed me."

She swallowed. "The same ones who killed your father."

He didn't correct her and fortunately, Akako didn't feel the need to either. Instead, he asked, "What are you doing out here, Akako? Why aren't you guarding Shinichi?"

"I'd be there if he allowed me," she scoffed. "But no, ever since you two kissed, all he's been able to focus on is getting you back. He knew where D.E.A.D. took you, it was only a matter of getting inside—Take a left up here," she ordered. Mom glared but complied. "—but fortunately you got out of your own mess. Thank the gods for that; whatever they did to you caused some feedback. Make a right here and then across the bridge."

"You're taking us to Shinichi, right?"

"Of course. Though I am not comfortable with _her_ knowing where we are."

"She's my mom, Akako," he sighed.

"And I'm not leaving my son to fight alone," his mom announced, "Especially not with people who just phase into others' cars."

"Why not?" Akako shot back. "It didn't stop you the first time."

"Stop it!" Kaito yelled, his voice cracking. "Mom, you're not helping with this." She opened her mouth to argue, but he continued. "I know you're older and you know magick, but… I'm not losing you too. Not to this guy." He could imagine the look of horror on her face when she saw Gin for the first time. He'd do anything to prevent that. "You're a Diviner. You're not offensive, not defensive. You don't have what it takes to fight him."

She looked like he'd just slapped her and emotionally he had. Slowly, she nodded. "Alright. If… you think that is best."

Kaito blinked in surprise. That had been almost too easy. He'd been sure that she'd argue… Akako suddenly said, "Take a right. It's the first building."

Mom did as Akako said and parked outside what looking like an old storage building. As Akako phased out the back window, she turned to me and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Go, Kaito. Do what you need to do. Just… come home when you're done."

"Okay Mom. I promise." Kaito slid out of the car, his leg buckling before he hauled himself back up with the door handle. He lurched away from the car, watching from the corner of his eyes as its headlights disappeared.

He was barely inside the building before Shinichi lunged at him. The two fell against the door, Shinichi cradling his head as he checked for injuries. "Kaito… I'm so sorry, I didn't want to leave you, we shouldn't have left, they _hurt_ you—"

Kaito silenced him with a quick peck on the lips. "It's alright. It's not your fault. I'll be fine." Eventually. He winced at the memory. "But right now, we have more important things to worry about."

Shinichi drew back. "Worse? Were you followed?"

He shook his head. "No. I think I know who's controlling Gin."

 **A/N: November update-day has been cancelled until further notice due to Nanowrimo. Thank you for your consideration.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"This isn't good," Shinichi said after Kaito had finished telling him what happened in the D.E.A.D. headquarters. "We have a lot to decide. Are you alright?" His eyes studied Kaito, concern hidden deep in the blue. "Your arm… and the silver in your system must be incredibly painful."

"It's died down a lot," Kaito replied, rubbing the new skin on his arm. "I should probably get some blood in me, just in case. Akako, could you…?"

She glanced over his rough appearance. "Sure," she snapped. Her mouth twisted into a scowl as she stalked off. Fortunately, her anger didn't seem directed at him, but rather the situation.

"Okay then." Shinichi sighed in relief and rubbed a hand over his face. "Gods… I can't believe I _respected_ Furuya… He was friends with my _parents…"_

"So, we're sure? Furuya's the one who created—" Kaito swallowed— "created Gin?"

"Yes. No one else would know about the Humanoid's weak point. My parents were very protective of their research; the only ones who would know are us and the Mage who stole the original copies of the translations. It has to be him!" Shinichi slammed his fist on the rickety table. Kaito jumped. "It… _it has to be_."

"Shinichi…"

"I have to do this, Kaito. I have to avenge them—my parents, your father, _Ran_." He stared down at his trembling hands. "Maybe… maybe if I can avenge them… maybe I can make up for what I've done to you."

Kaito scooped Shinichi up into a hug, ignoring a startled gasp in favor of pressing his forehead against his neck. "Don't," Kaito whispered, pressing a short kiss to Shinichi's collar bone. "I don't blame you for this." Not anymore, he thought guiltily. "But if doing this makes you feel better… then do it. Avenge us."

He felt Shinichi sigh. "Thank you."

They sat like that for a while, no noises except for their breathing and the wind whistling through the minuscule holes in the decrepit warehouse, Shinichi relaxed in Kaito's secure embrace. Akako's shoes clicked across the floor as she came back, her expression schooled into a blank mask. She threw a blood pack at them and Kaito caught it without thinking. "There. I'm going to go patrol the perimeter."

Shinichi reluctantly straightened out of the hug. "Alright. Thank you, Akako. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Let's hope that never happens then," she said. "KID, be sure to drink another pack later; we only have synth-blood and that doesn't boost your healing as much as the real thing."

"Okay, I will," Kaito replied with a grimace. His stomach throbbed at the reminder.

When Akako left, Shinichi pulled Kaito off his chest to look him in the eye. "Kaito… instead of drinking that first… try my blood."

"What!? _No!?_ Don't joke about these things!"

"I'm not joking. If we're confronting Furuya soon, you need to be completely recovered from what he did to you. That much healing needs at least some real blood."

"But what about the blood loss?" Kaito asked, desperately thinking of anything he could to defuse Shinichi's logic. "If you lose a lot of blood, will you be able to fight too?"

"Me, fight?" Shinichi laughed bitterly, rubbing his damaged knee. "It won't matter. If you only take a bit, then I should still be able to defend myself tomorrow."

"You… trust me not to hurt you?" It seemed impossible; he hadn't done anything to deserve such trust from Shinichi—"

"I trust you with my life." Shinichi answered without a second thought.

A jittery sigh escaped his lips. "Okay," Kaito found himself agreeing without thinking. He licked his lips, eyes darting around the room. "W-We should probably use a knife. I doubt my mouth is… the cleanest of places. We don't want to risk an infection."

Shinichi nodded and reached down to unsheathe a dagger attached to his calf. He held the handle out to Kaito. "Should we use my arm or my neck?"

"Your arm will be fine." He couldn't believe he was doing this. Kaito adjusted his body until he straddled Shinichi's lap. He licked his lips again and positioned Shinichi's arm in front of his face. Shinichi's pulse raced. The blade sliced through skin with some resistance, leaving a vibrant red line in its wake. Kaito pressed his lips to the wound and blood filled his mouth.

It was… exquisite, like water to a dying man in the desert. No, it was even better. Like champagne, it bubbled on his tongue, sweet, savory, and spicy all at the same time. A moan escaped and Kaito mouthed the cut roughly. It sparked against the soft skin around his fangs and sizzled as he swallowed gulp after gulp.

A hand touched his face and Kaito looked up to see Shinichi staring back at him. It was obvious that he was trying to keep his face blank—his jaw twitched as Kaito's tongue prodded at the torn flesh. Allowing one last hard suck, he pulled back, blood coating his teeth and still oozing out of the wound. Shinichi covered it with a waiting cloth. "So, did it help?" he asked.

"Definitely," Kaito said. "I feel a lot better now. My stomach's stopped hurting and the last of my cuts have healed up. Are you okay? I didn't take too much, did I?"

"No, no, I'm fine." Shinichi tried to stand, but his knees buckled instantly. Kaito caught him before he fell to the floor and guilt panged through him. "J-Just a little woozy. I just need to lie down." Kaito carried Shinichi over to the bed in corner of the room and set him down. "So, how did my blood taste?"

"…Sparkly." That was the closest thing to it.

He laughed. "Seriously!?"

Kaito laughed along with him, even though he wasn't really feeling it. "Yeah," he said with a smile. "I guess it was all the magick in your blood." Kaito quickly sobered up and bit his lip. He was exhausted… "Do… Can I sleep with you tonight?" He looked away. "I-I don't think I want to try and spend the night alone… after what happened…"

"Hey." Shinichi's hand forced him to look up again. Shinichi smiled and Kaito felt the tension fall from his shoulders. "Of course you can. Come on, get under the covers with me."

The bed was small, just a twin, so with both of them under the covers, Shinichi practically held Kaito in his arms. An embarrassed flush bloomed around his cheek, only to spread down his neck when Shinichi kissed him gently. "Goodnight Kaito. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight Shinichi."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

 **A/N: Two more chapters!**

Kaito pressed his back against Furuya's cold, stone fence, Shinichi safe between him and Akako. The shrubbery and shadows hid them from the street, but he still scanned the gaps through the leaves, daring someone to drive by and possibly spot them. No one would though; it was 2 am.

Rei Furuya's house was large, even compared to the Kudo's, 3 stories tall with a slopped, black roof and dark brown paneling. Unsurprising, since the Furuya was one of the most honorable families, but Kaito couldn't stop a spark of jealously from forming. His family must have a mansion similar to this. He might have seen it once if Furuya… if he hadn't killed his dad.

His jaw tightened. Eyes meeting Akako's, he gestured to the fence with his head. She nodded and melted into the darkness. A minute later, a birdcall sounded from over the wall.

"Showtime," Kaito whispered under his breath. The wind rose to his will, billowing under Shinichi. Kaito helped him to support his weight on it and, with him lying back like he was on a bed, Kaito raised him up and over the fence, one eye on the street. Just as Shinichi went over the top, headlights appeared down the street.

He ducked down, heart pounding, and lost control of the wind. Shinichi fell behind the fence. Someone hissed "Shit!" and Kaito heard the sound of two things colliding. His heart nearly stopped. Darting into the shadows, Kaito slid over the top and out the other side to see Shinichi lying atop a dazed Akako.

She glared at him and Kaito knew she was waiting for him to make a comment so she could rip into him. But he only allowed the corner of his mouth to twitch up before pulling Shinichi to his feet, checking him over to make sure he wasn't hurt.

Satisfied that neither were hurt (because they couldn't go on with Akako's help, Kaito told himself), he scooped Shinichi up in his arms and dashed out across the lawn, Akako close behind. It was only in the shadows of a massive chimney that Kaito felt it safe to set him down and even then he made sure that she was next to him. They couldn't leave Shinichi alone; he was the most vulnerable of the three and, though the two Humanoids would never tell him they thought this, he was the most important of the three.

Weird how some people argue to the day they die, but will still have the same beliefs.

Boosting Shinichi up, the Mage peered through the window above them. "Room's clear," Shinichi whispered. "But there are runes between the windowpane and the window. We need to remove the glass." He looked down at them. "Akako?"

"I've got it," she muttered and reached up, her fingers barely able to touch the glass. The moment her fingers brushed pane, it turned liquid. It ran down the side of the house and, curious, Kaito prodded it. It was still cold. Akako's power spread across the entirety of the window until a gapping space large enough for a body appeared. Jumping up, Akako hauled herself into the room beyond and, minutes later, Kaito was pushing Shinichi into her waiting arms.

He followed and found himself in an opulent study/library, with bookshelves on every wall and a large fireplace that belonged to the chimney outside. The rug under their feet—one of a kind, perhaps?—muffled the sound of his shoes as Kaito moved to put himself between Shinichi and the closed door while Akako moved behind him and repaired the window.

Looking back, Kaito received twin nods to continue forward. He slipped through the door's keyhole, the most shadowed part of the door, checking to make sure it was unlocked. It was, so he slithered out the other end and checked the hallway he was in for people before opening the door for them. There wouldn't be runes on the sides of the door; no one ever did. Runes would set off an alarm whenever anyone opened it, creator or intruder.

As he rejoined the others, glass shattered in the distance. Kaito stiffened, the hairs on his neck raised. What the hell…? He shared an equally startled look with Shinichi before Akako said, "I'll check it out. You two find Furuya."

"Will you be ok?" Shinichi asked. "I could—"

"No!" They hissed, panic coloring their collective tones. Akako continued. "No. I'll be fine. I always am." She smirked, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"That's what I'm afraid of," he muttered. "Be safe. Let's move, Kaito."

Kaito nodded and Akako disappeared into the darkness. They crept through the halls, their footsteps echoing, towards the foyer of the house where Shinichi was sure they'd find stairs leading to the second floor, and therefore to the master bedroom. Mansions usually had the stairs in the foyer, Shinichi had explained earlier that night. And if they didn't find Furuya in the master bedroom, then they would likely find concrete evidence of his crimes to give to D.E.A.D.

He didn't bother trying to figure out the flaws with Shinichi's theory. It wouldn't do them any good. Was there anything else they could do?

It didn't take long to find the stairs and even less to find the master bedroom. Kaito was worried; Akako had been gone for a while. What if she'd found D-Gin? Sure, he couldn't hear any signs of light, but Gin teleports. For all he knew, Gin could have taken her elsewhere to finish her off.

They approached the master bedroom's door. This was it, this was what they'd been waiting for, after all this time! "Let's get this over with," Shinichi ordered. Centering himself, Kaito opened the door.

The room matched the rest of the house in terms of luxury. A four-poster bed took up the majority of the space, with silk curtains hiding the light of the nearly-full moon outside. The carpet was plush and soft-looking while the walls held painting worth more than Kaito's former apartment.

However, this was all background to Furuya's body half-pulled off the bed, his face forever trapped in an unending look of horror.

Kaito reeled back, barely formed thoughts flooding his brain. What…? How…? He couldn't… This had to be… Kaito couldn't make out a single concrete thought besides the very obvious: Rei Furuya was dead.

Shinichi had a similar expression of shock, but unlike Kaito, he walked forward, stepping into the room without a word. Kaito followed, but stayed a few feet behind, his mind unable to fully clear. Shinichi slouched beside the corpse, weight heavy on his cane, and checked it over, first around its neck, then its torso. "He's still warm. And no wounds," Shinichi said under his breath. "He… I think… I think he had his soul ripped out," he told Kaito. "There have been several of these deaths over the years… most commonly in hospitals, as a way to end a patient's life if every other option of treatment has been exhausted. It's… extremely illegal to do it outside of those circumstances."

Then, inexplicitly, Shinichi checked the man's fingers. "There's no fresh Blood Bonds. This one is a few years old—his former partner, I suspect—but it's gray. She died. But since Furuya was the one to die, then there should still be a black one."

Kaito stepped closer to see. His fingers only had one Blood Bond, an old gray one like Shinichi had said. "What… I don't understand…"

"Furuya… he wasn't the one who created Gin."

"Course not, Kudo. What happened fer ya ta start thinkin' that?"


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Shinichi made a heartbroken noise in the back of his throat as Hattori stepped fully into the room. Kaito growled, moving in between the two, reaching out to the wind in anticipation. Hattori glared at them, the expression at war with the amusement in his voice. "What's wrong, Kudo? Are ya really so surprised ya can't even speak?" A sick pit formed in his gut. _Hattori_. It had been _Hattori_ this _whole time—_

The air shifted near the window. Kaito threw Shinichi to the side and caught the full weight of Gin's blow. They crashed to the floor, Kaito dropping his gun and his arm burning as a silver blade sliced through clothes and skin. They grappled for the knife, snarls filling the room. Kaito focused on Gin's fanged sneer—he couldn't look at his face, _don't think about it—_

Kaito slammed Gin down and pressed him into the floor, the other writhing to escape. He looked up to see Hattori kick Shinichi in the stomach and grab him up by the throat.

He saw red.

A shadow lashed out at Hattori. He dropped Shinichi on his bad leg, only to be thrust up against the closet door. Kaito smirked, ready to strike, but Gin surged up from under him, shoving his head into the carpet. The knife came down and Kaito caught the wrist attached, his other hand held down. His muscles strained with the effort; Gin strained to kill him. "Dad…" Kaito whispered, staring up at that achingly familiar face. This was the first time they'd been face to face like this in years, and Dad was going to kill him. Kaito could see his reflection in those bright red eyes. "Dad… please, stop…"

But he didn't. There was no reaction, just a steady increase in pressure that made Kaito's hand shake with the force.

Shinichi coughed and pulled himself up with the help of a dresser. Hattori scoffed. "Seriously? I can't believe ya made that." He side-eyed Kaito. "Never thought ya had it in ya, Kudo. Fer ya ta make a Humanoid… that shit takes a lotta magick. Looks like I 'ave ta stop underestimatin' ya. But magick ain't gonna save ya this time. Not with what I'm gonna do ta ya."

"It seems that I have also underestimated you," Shinichi spat, wiping away the blood on his chin. "Especially since I thought you weren't a Mage." He glared. "Nor did I think you were capable of slaughtering your own men at that heist."

"I didn't 'ave much a choice 'bout that. Da people I work for… they ain't da forgivin' type." Hattori shrugged, nonchalant. "And bein' magickless… wasn't that hard. It's pretty easy to fake. All ya gotta do is pretend ta be useless at every opportunity."

A hiss escaped Kaito. Useless? _Useless!?_ He'll rip out his throat with his teeth. Kaito tried to shadow-meld out of Gin's grip, but the other Humanoid followed. They tumbled to the other side of the room, Kaito again on his back, but now the blade was under his chin. It took both his hands to keep it from thrusting up in the fleshy underside of his jaw.

Laughing at them, Hattori drew a weapon—a Taser—and drove it into Shinichi's side. He screamed, anguish contorting his face as he collapsed to the ground. "Quite a feisty bastard ya 'ave, eh Kudo?" He prodded Shinichi with his boot. He flinched. "Not that controlled though, is he? Woulda been easier if ya'd jus' destroyed his memory like with that one. But ya not gonna be alive long enough ta regret yur decision."

All emotions dropped off Kaito's face as white static filled his head. Destroyed his memory…? He looked up at Gin, who stared back with nothing but cold determination, and saw. There was no recognition in his eyes. There was no reaction to calling him "Dad." Just… nothing, like a blank slate. Like the blank slate Akako had described herself. He didn't see his dad; he saw someone who shared his face. A secondary personality who, unlike Akako, didn't see a reason to change his features from its default face.

Oh thank the fucking gods.

Snarling, Kaito kneed Gin in the stomach and kicked him off. The knife nicked his skin. Gin leapt on his back and Kaito head-butted him as hard as he could. Then, Kaito reached around and grabbed one of Gin's arms. He pulled.

There was a crack, and then a scream. No. Two screams.

Kaito whirled around to see Hattori standing over Shinichi, who's shield was up, but he was so weak that it didn't cover his legs. Hattori ground down hard on his bad leg and another cry rang from Shinichi's lips. "Stop right there, KID." There was no amusement left. "This is where it ends. Make another move and I'll 'ave ta kill 'im. Ya don't want that, do ya?" Kaito stilled. Gin stood and again the knife was placed at his neck.

"Why…?"

Hattori raised an eyebrow. "Why what?"

"Why are you doing this!?" Kaito demanded, baring his teeth. "Shinichi's parents were your friends, weren't they? Why did you kill them? Why are you hurting him!? Did that mean anything to you?"

"Shut da hell up!" Hattori shouted. "I wasn't da one ta kill 'em! That was—" He stopped himself, straightening. "That was someone else. Now, let's get this over with—"

Gin burst into flames, crying out. Kaito dove for his gun as fire consumed him, smoke filling the room. At the same time, the window shattered and wind poured into in, carrying in Akako… and Aoko. Akako tackled Hattori off Shinichi, her nails shredding the skin around his neck. Blood flowed out, its siren scent filling the air and stroking his hunger, but now wasn't the time to pay attention to that. Kaito raised his weapon and fired two shots into Gin's chest.

The screams suddenly cut off. Gin dropped like a bag of garbage, limp and heavy. The fire petered out as his body dissolved into the shadows until nothing was left of him but a slightly bloody knife.

Kaito sighed and looked around. Hakuba was standing in the door way, looking like he'd gone weeks without sleep. Akako was sitting on Hattori's back, claws digging into the back of his head as she tried to break his nose by shoving it into the carpet. Aoko had put handcuffs on him and was now helping Shinichi to his feet. Kaito sagged against the wall.

"What the hell took you so long, Akako!?"


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"Excuse me," Akako said with a glare, drawing more blood from Hattori who was staying silent, for the moment. Kaito was looking forward to dragging answers from his filthy, traitor mouth. "This damned house bigger than ours, I had to figure out _where_ you two were because, oh I don't know, _you didn't tell me_ , and then I had to deal with these two—" She gestured at Hakuba, "—failing at sneaking around, getting them to trust me, and having to enter this room from the outside because _someone_ had to be dramatic!"

"For the last time, it was a strategic advantage—"

Kaito tuned out in favor of approaching his… boyfriend? Special person? They had to work out labels. He hovered beside him, unsure if he should even touch Shinichi. "Are you alright?" he whispered. "You didn't raise a shield until so late, I thought…"

"I'm fine," Shinichi replied, cupping Kaito's cheek. "Shields take a lot of magic I wasn't prepared to use. But are you… you're bleeding!"

"It's okay, I received worse at Furuya's hands…" Kaito turned back to the rest of the room. "Speaking of D.E.A.D., is there any particular reason why you two are here right now?" He addressed Hakuba and Aoko. "I didn't think that D.E.A.D. broke into senior management homes, but after all that's happened…"

Hakuba smiled grimly. "We were assigned to watch Furuya's house after HQ received an anonymous tip that someone was going to attack him."

"Technically, we volunteered," Aoko tacked on. "The bosses were more interested in catching you than protecting the one who let you get away, so no one questioned why we got the job."

"I—" Everyone turned at Hattori's wheeze. Akako had graduated from cutting his skin to nearly choking him. "I wouldn't 'ave sent it if I'd known ya were friends—Shit!"

Akako slammed his face back into the floor. "I recommend being quiet," she said. "I am not adverse to breaking your arms."

Hattori rasped out a laugh. "Geeze, Kudo, why'd ya make two when this one is far more vicious—!" He cried out in pain.

"He confessed to killing Furuya," Kaito told Hakuba. "You mind taking him in… and not telling anyone we were here?"

"Of course."

"Ya act like I'm not gonna tell people about yur involvement—"

Hattori grunted in pain as Akako broke on of his fingers in warning. "Quiet, maggot."

He laughed again, unsettling Kaito. Couldn't they gag him? "Does it matter?" he asked. "I'll be dead in a day. Did ya actually think I was da mastermind behind this!?"

"I don't care," Shinichi said, wrapping an arm around Kaito's shoulders for support. "I will take the rest of this organization of yours down, Hattori. Their time is limited."

"Oh, Kudo…" Hattori looked up at them in pity. "Ya don't know what yur gettin' into. Quit while yur ahead."

"Kaito." He turned to Aoko. She was watching him warily, longing in her eyes. "The rest of D.E.A.D.'s going to show up soon… but I want an explanation. Tomorrow? At the old café we used to go to together?"

He smiled. "I'll see you there. Bring my mom too. You're both not going to believe the things I've been through."

"I look forward to it."

Without a glance behind him, Kaito scooped a protesting Shinichi into his arms and jumped out the broken window with Akako right behind them. They flouted safely to the ground and raced across the lawn towards the back of the estate, sirens starting up in the distance.

On the run again. Kaito doubted that would change anytime soon, but, with Shinichi safe in his arms, he couldn't find it in him to care.

 **A/N: This concludes** _ **Reverse this Curse**_ **. In the unlikely event that there will be a sequel, I will post an extra chapter here informing you of such. Thank you, everyone, for reading and following this story.**

 **If you haven't already, there is a poll on my profile about which** _ **Kaishin Drabbles**_ **story I should continue. Please pick your favorite two, or PM/review me if you'd like an extra added. This poll will be closed March 3** **rd** **, 2017.**


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